Bhopal:
Vishnu Deo Sai, the BJP’s new tribal Chief Minister in Chhattisgarh, will have two deputies — part of the party’s efforts to balance the caste equation in the state.
The deputies are state BJP chief Arun Sao — a leader from the Other Backward Classes and Vijay Sharma — a Brahmin.
Former Chief Minister Raman Singh, a Rajput, who was also a contender for the top post this time, will be the Assembly Speaker.
Along with Mr Singh, Arun Sao was also in the running for the top job in the state and the BJP is hoping that the extra prominence will help keep factionalism at bay.
Vijay Sharma is a general secretary of the party — and along with the new Chief Minister — also very close to Raman Singh. In the recently concluded assembly election, he defeated minister Akbar Bhai by around 40,000 votes.
