Vishnu Deo Sai takes oath as Chhattisgarh CM
Vishnu Deo Sai, on Wednesday, took oath as the fourth Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders in Raipur. Sai is a prominent tribal leader belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as the Union Minister of Steel, Labour and Employment under the first Modi government.
Why does this story matter?
The BJP won 54 seats out of a total of 90 Chhattisgarh assembly seats, while the Congress bagged 35. The Gondwana Gantantra Party emerged victorious in one seat. As incumbent CM Bhupesh Baghel accepted defeat and resigned, the BJP announced tribal leader Sai as the new state chief. Sai is only the fourth CM since the creation of the state on November 1, 2000.
Watch: Sai takes oath as Chhattisgarh CM
Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao sworn in as deputy CMs
Meanwhile, Vijay Sharma and Arun Sao were sworn in as the deputy CMs of Chhattisgarh. Notably, the saffron party has announced two deputies in all three states it won recently—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhatisgarh. Sharma hails from Kabirdham district and represents the Kawardha assembly constituency, while Sao represents the Lormi Vidhan Sabha seat.
Watch: Chhatisgarh deputy CMs take oath
What do we know about Sai
The 59-year-old leader began his political career as a village sarpanch and rose through the ranks to become the minister of state for mines and steel in Prime Minister Modi's cabinet in 2014. In the recently concluded assembly elections, he won from Kunkuri in northern Chhattisgarh. Sai belongs to the powerful Sahu (Teli) community, which has a considerable presence in Chhattisgarh.
Mohan Yadav sworn in as Madhya Pradesh chief minister
Earlier in the day, Mohan Yadav took oath as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh at Lal Parade ground. PM Modi, along with Amit Shah and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda, were present at the swearing-in ceremony. Deputy Chief Ministers Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda were also sworn in by Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel.