In an unprecedented development reported from Chhattisgarh, five-time Member of Parliament (MP), and former MLA Nand Kumar Sai has resigned from the membership of Indian National Congress (INC). Sai who had joined the Deepal Baij-led Congress party in Chhattisgarh with much fanfare around 8 months before the state assembly elections, tendered his resignation on Wednesday, December 20.
It’s been learned that the senior leader from Jashpur made the decision after the crushing defeat of the Congress party in the state assembly elections. Earlier, the four-time MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was also denied a ticket by the Congress party in the state assembly elections.
Hailing from the tribal (Janjati) community, Nand Kumar Sai first contested the election in undivided Madhya Pradesh in the year 1977 and was elected as an MLA. Later on, Sai was also chosen as a member of the Lok Sabha from Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency in the year 1989 and 1996 respectively.
After the creation of Chhattisgarh, Sai emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha election of 2004, which he contested from the Janjati-dominated Sarguja seats. Sai was also given a ticket to the Rajya Sabha in 2009, a seat that he held till the year 2016.
Considered as one of the tallest leaders from the Janjati community, Nand Kumar Sai tendered his resignation from the BJP in a surprising turn of events which unfolded just months before the state assembly election of Chhattisgarh. It was then speculated that the departure of the Sai from the saffron party would hamper its hopes to return in power.
Though, despite the exit of Sai, the BJP performed exceptionally well in the Janjati-dominated regions of the state, sweeping the northern region and bagging 8 out of 12 seats of the Janjati-dominated southern Chhattisgarh.
The grand victory of the party in the Janjati-dominated region also inspired the Narendra Modi-led party to choose Vishnu Deo Sai, another leader from the Janjati community, as the first Janjati Chief Minister of the State.
Now, after the resignation of Nand Kumar Sai from the grand old party, it’s been speculated that the Janjati leader from Jashpur could plan a reunion with his old guards in the days ahead.
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