Following the triumph in the Chhattisgarh state assembly elections, Kiran Singh Deo, the newly elected MLA from the Jagdalpur constituency, was appointed the new State President of the BJP on Thursday.

Having served as the Mayor of Jagdalpur, Deo takes the helm from the outgoing BJP President Arun Sao. This appointment takes place with immediate effect, according to a party communiqué.

Deo, a first-time MLA, is known for his prior tenure as Jagdalpur’s Mayor and his close ties to the BJP and the RSS.

Interestingly, Chhattisgarh Congress President Deepak Baij also hails from Bastar district. This marks a trend where both major parties, BJP and Congress, select their state presidents from this region, which holds considerable political significance.

The discussion around changes in the leadership of the Chhattisgarh BJP gained traction after Arun Sao, the former BJP president, assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the BJP government in Chhattisgarh. The newly appointed BJP State President, Deo comes from the general category, signalling a departure from the party’s traditional practice of appointing state president only from tribal and OBC categories.

Previously, leaders like Nandkumar Sai, Vishnudev Sai, and Vikram Usendi had served as BJP state presidents, representing the tribal category. Dharamlal Kaushik and Arun Sao from the OBC category have also held the position.

Kiran Singh Deo, who commenced his political journey with the BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and worked as the party president of the Bastar district unit, previously served as the Mayor of Jagdalpur from 2009 to 2014. He has demonstrated adeptness in managing various responsibilities within the BJP organisation.

In the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, Kiran Singh Deo emerged victorious from the Jagdalpur constituency with 29,834 votes, defeating Congress candidate Jatin Jayaswal. The 61-year-old leader with familial ties to a prominent feudal family, Deo had previously clinched victory in the municipal elections in Jagdalpur with a substantial margin in 2009. During the municipal polls, he defeated Congress candidate Umashankar Shukla by an impressive margin of 27,000 votes.

Senior journalist and political analyst Yashwant Gohil, sharing insights on Chhattisgarh’s political dynamics with The Statesman, remarked that BJP’s appointment of Kiran Singh Deo, a leader from the general category, reflects an attempt to resonate with the state’s general category population. With Chief Minister from the tribal category and a Deputy Chief Minister from the OBC category, appointing a state president from the general category showcases the BJP’s strategic adaptation in Chhattisgarh’s political landscape, leaving room for anticipation of its impact in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.