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Journalism of Courage
A month after he quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the Congress, veteran tribal leader Nand Kumar Sai Thursday was appointed chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation, a cabinet-minister rank post.
Soon after making the appointment, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel took to Twitter for congratulating Sai. “Congratulations and best wishes to senior Congress leader Shri Nand Kumar Sai ji for his new responsibility as the Chairman (Cabinet Minister status) of Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation,” the CM posted.
The Congress party found out that the 77-year-old was unhappy with the BJP and managed to poach him in time before the elections. Sources in the party said Sai will be the tribal face of the party during its campaigning in the tribal regions of Surguja and Bastar.
Sai has been with the BJP since the party was founded in 1980. He has been a two-time Lok Sabha MP, and three-time MLA.
Sai, a former Leader of Opposition, was among the prospective candidates for the CM’s post but BJP’s former union minister and the longest serving CM of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh was chosen over him.
In his resignation letter, the tribal leader said: “Throughout my journey in the BJP, I was given various important posts and duties which I discharged with full dedication and devotion and I thank the party for it,”
“But for the last few years, with the aim of tarnishing my image in the Bharatiya Janata Party, my dignity is constantly being hurt by false allegations and other activities conspired against me by political rivals of my own party. Due to which I am feeling extremely hurt and after thinking very deeply, I am resigning from my primary membership… and all my posts,” he had stated.
With Assembly elections due this year, the Congress party has also appointed T S Singhdeo as deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, a move by the party leadership apparently believed to resolve the tensions between CM Baghel and the member of the erstwhile royal family of Sarguja. The steady decisions are being seen as measures to solidify the party for bettering its election performance.
