RAIPUR: Newly-elected MLA from Kunkuri legislative assembly in Jashpur district Vishnu Deo Sai (59) is a composed, soft-spoken tribal leader. Union home minister Amit Shah, while seeking support from the masses in a rally during the poll campaign, had dropped a hint of ‘some’ big plans for Sai, who is closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, if the BJP won.
A resident of Bagiya village, Sai is a farmer by occupation and represents the ‘Paikra-Kanwar’ tribal community. Tribals constitute around 31 percent of the state’s population. He began his political career as unopposed sarpanch of Bagiya gram panchayat in 1990 and was later elected as an MLA at the age of 26 years from Jashpur’s Tapkara Assembly constituency which he represented from 1990 to 1998.
Sai’s late grandfather Budhnath Sai was a nominated legislator from 1947-52 and the elder brother of his father Narahari Sai became a two-time MLA in undivided MP House. Another close relative, Kedarnath Sai, was also an MLA.
He is the second tribal chief minister in Chhattisgarh after Ajit Jogi, who represented the Congress party. He remained the senior most state BJP leaders among the frontrunners for the top post and the party finally reposed its trust in him.
Besides his long political career, the tribal leader emerged ahead of other contenders for the CM’s post for two apparent reasons—the state’s significant tribal population and the overwhelming support the BJP got from them in the 2023 polls as the party won 17 out of the 29 reserved ST seats.
Sai is perceived as a ‘non-controversial’ BJP leader who first notched a parliamentary win from the Raigarh Lok Sabha seat in 1999. He went on to represent the constituency four times in a row — 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he was among the 10 sitting BJP MPs who were denied tickets. He served as the Union minister of state for steel and mining, labour and employment in the Narendra Modi government after being elected to Parliament from Raigarh in 2014. Sai was twice elected as the state BJP president, first in 2006 and later in 2020.
