First-time MLA Kiran Singh Deo is the new Chhattisgarh BJP chief

The non-tribal, non-OBC leader, along with the tribal Chief Minister, is expected to balance the caste and regional equations in the BJP’s State unit

BJP candidate from Jagdalpur constituency Kiran Singh Deo flashes the victory sign after casting his vote for the 1st phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, at a polling station in Jagdalpur, Bastar district, Nov. 7, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

In another surprising move, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday chose Jagdalpur MLA Kiran Singh Deo, a first-time legislator, as its State president for Chhattisgarh.

While a change of guard was imminent with incumbent State BJP chief Arun Sao being appointed as one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers in the Vishnu Deo Sai-led State government, the 60-year-old was initially not among the people considered for the post.

A notification issued by the party’s national general secretary Arun Kumar in Delhi read: “BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed MLA Kiran Singh Deo as BJP Chhattisgarh unit president.”

“This appointment will come into effect immediately,” the notification added.

Mr. Singh Deo is a former mayor of Jagdalpur — the headquarters of Bastar — and represents the only unreserved constituencies in the tribal region where BJP won eight out of 12 seats in the recent elections. Hailing from the Kshatriya caste also makes him the first non-OBC, non-tribal leader at the helm of the organisation in more than a decade.

A lawyer by profession, Mr. Singh Deo has held several organisational posts, the most recent of them being that of the State-level general secretary till 2022. Having tasted electoral success as a mayoral candidate in 2019, the recent election was the first time he contested in the Assembly arena. His debut was successful as he defeated the Congress candidate Jatin Jaiswal by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes.

The new leader’s major assignment will be the Lok Sabha elections due next year where he would hope to improve the party’s tally from the last elections. While the BJP won nine out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh in 2019, Bastar was one of the seats it lost. Deepak Baij, who won the Lok Sabha election from the constituency back then, is the current State Congress chief.

The Congress’ State presidents in the past five years [Mohan Markam (2019-23), followed by Mr. Baij] have been from the Bastar region. The BJP has chosen its Chief Minister from the northern tribal belt of Sarguja and his two deputies from the central plains.

Party sources in the State said that a tribal CM from Sarguja and a non-tribal party chief from Bastar will lead to a better balancing of caste and regional equations. The appointment, they added, also sent a strong message to the cadre in the region where several party workers have been killed in Maoist violence in recent years.

Reacting to the development, CM Mr. Sai congratulated the new appointee and expressed hope that he would take the party to new heights.

“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Jagdalpur MLA Shri Kiran Singh Dev ji on being appointed as the new State president of @BJP4CGState I do not hope but believe that under your able leadership the party will definitely touch new heights in Chhattisgarh @KiranDeoBJP,” he posted on X.