Vishnu Deo Sai, the BJP leader from the tribal belt of Jashpur, will take oath as the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh on December 13, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony in Raipur, along with other senior BJP leaders and dignitaries.

Sai’s name was announced as the chief ministerial candidate by former chief minister Raman Singh on Sunday, after a meeting of the BJP’s newly-elected 54 MLAs in the state. Sai, 59, is a four-time MP from Raigarh and a former Union minister of state for steel and mines. He is also the national vice-president of the BJP’s ST Morcha

Sai is known as a calm and composed leader with strong organisational skills and grassroots connect. He belongs to the Oraon tribe, which constitutes a significant vote bank in the state. He is also seen as a non-controversial figure who can balance the interests of various factions within the BJP and the state⁸.

Sai will lead the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, which returned to power after a gap of five years. The BJP won 54 seats out of 90 in the assembly elections held in November, defeating the incumbent Congress, which managed to win only 33 seats. The BJP’s agenda for the new government includes fulfilling the promises made in its manifesto, such as providing free electricity to farmers, waiving off farm loans, and probing the alleged scams of the previous regime⁷.