Diverse Representation: Vishnudeo Sai’s Cabinet welcomes a mix of experienced and new faces

Raipur The Vishnudeo Sai Ministry has provided representation to every section of society, including both new and established faces. Apart from Chief Minister Sai and Deputy Chief Ministers Arun Sao and Vijay Sharma, nine ministers have been included in the Cabinet. This group comprises individuals ranging from former sarpanchs to teachers and even those with backgrounds in the IAS. Among these nine ministers, five are new faces, while four are former ministers. Brijmohan Agarwal, an eighth-time MLA and former minister, represents Raipur South and has been elected for the eighth time as an MLA. He has held ministerial positions in both the Patwa government in undivided Madhya Pradesh and in all three terms of the Raman government. In the latest election, he defeated Congress candidate Mahant Ramsundar Das by a record margin of 67,919 votes. Kedar Kashyap, with a rich political experience, is a tribal leader and the son of former MP Bali Ram Kashyap. Born on November 5, 1974, he has been an MLA three times, representing Bastar. He held ministerial portfolios in health and engineering in Raman Singh’s government. Lakhanlal Dewangan, a second-time MLA turned minister from Korba, became a minister for the first time after being elected twice as an MLA. His political journey started as a corporator and then as the Mayor of Korba Municipal Corporation. Ramvichar Netam, a senior tribal leader from the BJP, has been elected for the sixth time as an MLA from Chhattisgarh and secured a place in Sai’s Ministry. He has previously served as a member of the Rajya Sabha and as the national president of the BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha. Lakshmi Rajwade, a first-time MLA from the Bhatgaon constituency, has become a minister. She has been actively involved in BJP’s organizational activities and won against the Congress candidate Parsanath Rajwade in two consecutive elections with a margin of more than 43,000 votes. Shyam Bihari became a part of the Sai Ministry as the representative from the Manendragarh Assembly in the Surguja region. Previously, a prominent figure in the BJP, Jayaswal, had served as the President of the District Panchayat in Koriya. He also held the position of the state president of the BJP Kisan Morcha. Initially elected as a legislator in 2013, he faced a close competition in the 2018 elections. However, this time, he managed to overcome the previous defeat by defeating Dr. Vinay Jayaswal from the Congress. Even in opposition, he continued working with the BJP organization for five years. O.P. Choudhary: During the election campaign, Home Minister Amit Shah had promised to elevate the former IAS-turned politician officer O.P. Choudhary to a significant position. With his inclusion in the Sai Ministry, Shah fulfilled his promise. Choudhary, part of the 2005 batch of officers, became an IAS officer at the age of 22 and resigned from his position as the Raipur Collector in 2018 at the age of 36. In the same year, he entered the BJP and contested from the Kharsia Assembly seat but faced defeat. Born on June 2, 1981, to a middle-class family, Choudhary’s father, Deenanath Choudhary, was a teacher. His father passed away when O.P. was in the second grade. Choudhary completed his early education in his ancestral village, Byang. He studied in the schools of Khapri. Due to insufficient teachers in higher secondary education, he completed his studies independently. After schooling, he pursued a B.Sc from Bhilai. He completed his graduation in Mathematics, Physics, and Electronics from Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University and then prepared for the civil services exam, passing it in his first attempt. Dayal Das Baghel: Baghel, associated with the Scheduled Caste, became involved in politics starting from the position of a village headman. In 2003, Dayal Das Baghel was first elected as a legislator from the Navagadh Assembly constituency. Subsequently, in 2008 and 2013, he was re-elected as a legislator. In 2008, he also served as the Vice Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Development Corporation. During the Raman Singh government, he was the Minister of Commerce, Industry, Cooperation, Culture, and Tourism. However, in the 2018 assembly elections, he faced defeat. In 2023, making a remarkable comeback, he defeated the Congress candidate, Guru Rudra Kumar, in the assembly elections. Dayal Das Baghel was born on July 1, 1954, in the village of Kunra and has two sons and four daughters. Tankram Verma: BJP legislator Tankram Verma, a former teacher, from Balodabazar has become a part of the Sai Ministry. He has been active in the social and political arena for the past 30 years. Before becoming a legislator, he served as the rural BJP president in Baloda Bazaar district. Verma gained popularity for organizing Ramayana and Bhagavat Katha sessions in the region. Hailing from the Kurmi community, Tankaram Verma defeated the Congress candidate Shaillesh Nitin Trivedi by more than 14,000 votes in his first attempt at the Assembly elections.