Veteran tribal leader Nand Kumar Sai, who recently switched over to the Congress from BJP, was on Thursday named Chairman of the Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corp (CSIDC), a cabinet minister's rank post.
Soon after making the appointment, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel tweeted: “Congratulations and best wishes to senior Congress leader Nand Kumar Saiji for his new responsibility."
Sensing the discontentment of the 77-year-old tribal leader in the BJP, the Congress poached him and is ready to make him the tribal face of the party during assembly elections in the tribal regions of Surguja and Bastar.
Sai had been with the BJP since the party was founded in 1980. He has been a two-time Lok Sabha member and a three-time MLA.