Chhattisgarh BJP gets new president
The Hindu
Arun Sao has worked extensively with ABVP and BJYM
With 14 months left for next year’s Assembly election in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday appointed Bilaspur Lok Sabha member Arun Sao as the new president of the party’s State unit.
Mr. Sao, 53, a first-time MP who hasn’t held any significant organisational post in the party so far, has replaced one of Chhattisgarh BJP’s tribal faces and three-time State unit president, Vishnu Deo Sai, whose latest tenure lasted for over two years.
Mr. Sao has extensive experience of working in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) student wing — the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — and the BJP’s youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. His appointment was announced immediately after the party’s newly appointed general secretary, organisation (for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh) Ajay Jamwal concluded his Chhattisgarh visit, prompting speculation of a change of guard.
“I am happy that the BJP has chosen an ordinary worker like me to lead the State unit ahead of the next year’s Assembly election. I will take everyone along and put in efforts to ensure that we return to power,” said Mr. Sao. He was congratulated by former Chief Minister Raman Singh and leader of the Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik.
Party sources said there was a buzz about a change of guard for a while as back-to-back bypoll losses had gone against Mr. Sai. “It was also discussed that in Madhya Pradesh the appointment of such a face who had cut his teeth in the ABVP [V.D. Sharma with an RSS background and little legislative experience before he became a first-time MP from Khajuraho] had worked well and the party wanted to repeat the experiment,” said a former BJP MLA.
Mr. Sao hails from the Sahu community, which is the largest constituent under the OBC umbrella with Kurmis being the second. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of the Congress is from the Kurmi caste and the OBC votes ensured his victory in the last election.
Between them, the various OBCs (nearly 45%) and tribal (33%) communities comprise a lion’s share of the electorate in Chhattisgarh. The party president’s post has been held mostly by the representatives of these two communities.
OpenAI’s text-to-video model Sora was allegedly leaked by artists who were against the company’s treatment of them.
Companies cautiously explore AI's potential in various industries, balancing innovation with practicality and human oversight for successful implementation.
Prodancy Pvt Ltd, a medtech startup specialising in surgical consumables for joint replacement surgeries, has successfully raised ₹2.14 crore in a funding round co-led by Campus Angels Network and Keiretsu Forum Chennai, which also saw participation from existing investors Center for Cellular & Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) and other angel investors.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken emphasizes strong U.S.-India partnership for global security and prosperity during G7 meeting.
Ahead of the 10th edition of attenDance Awards, to be held in Bengaluru on November 30, art historian Ashish Khokar talks of the need to celebrate, assess and value dance
Delhi's pollution levels slightly decrease, nearing 'poor' category, with AQI at 301, haze persists, health risks remain.
Howrah GRP and CID uncover inter-State links to 'serial killer' targeting handicapped and women passengers on moving trains.
ISKCON Bangladesh denounces arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, demands justice and peaceful coexistence for Sanatanis in Bangladesh.
Maharashtra Congress president criticizes Mahayuti's delay in choosing CM, alleging BJP's control and EVM irregularities in election.
Meta’s WhatsApp took its fight against the European Data Protection Board to Europe’s highest court.
“Writing, in general, is a very solitary process,” says Yauvanika Chopra, Associate Director at The New India Foundation (NIF), which, earlier this year, announced the 12th edition of its NIF Book Fellowships for research and scholarship about Indian history after Independence. While authors, in general, are built for it, it can still get very lonely, says Chopra, pointing out that the fellowship’s community support is as valuable as the monetary benefits it offers. “There is a solid community of NIF fellows, trustees, language experts, jury members, all of whom are incredibly competent,” she says. “They really help make authors feel supported from manuscript to publication, so you never feel like you’re struggling through isolation.”