In Vishnu Deo Sai’s elevation, BJP harnesses tribals' disenchantment with Congress

Vishnu Deo Sai (right) will take oath as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister today.

The appointment of Vishnu Deo Sai as the first tribal chief minister of Chhattisgarh is in tune with the long-term strategy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win over the community that was once considered a staunch vote bank of the Congress.

The main reason for the Congress' strong support were the initiatives taken by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi such as the creation of Integrated Tribal Development Agencies and ensuring tribals get their rights on jal, jangle aur zameen (water, jungle, and land) that had long term impact on the lives of the community members.

Read : BJP opts for Vishnu Deo Sai as Chhattisgarh's next chief minister; Arun Sao, Vijay Sharma likely to be deputy CMs

For decades, she remained a popular figure among the tribals that constitute about 9% of India’s population.

The Modi Effect

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully weaned the tribals away from the Congress by personally leading a series of outreach programmes, especially in his second term.

He had sensed the disenchantment of the tribals with the Congress and other political parties after the BJP, in the 2019 national elections, bagged 35 out of the 47 Lok Sabha seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

An out-of-the-box idea to nominate Draupadi Murmu as the first tribal President of India last year strengthened the BJP’s foothold among the community.

His government had increased budgetary spending on tribal welfare and given a push to agroforestry and natural farming.

In terms of optics too, Modi’s messaging is clear. During all tribals events, he would be seen wearing tribal outfits and often recalls the sacrifices of freedom fighter Birsa Munda and other tribal icons.

Congress Took Tribals For Granted

And he is undoubtedly gaining traction among the community. The BJP’s stunning victory in Chhattisgarh, a state with a 31 percent tribal population, despite pollsters predicting the return of the Congress government is largely attributed to the Modi factor. The “Modi guarantee” had clearly turned the tide in favour of the BJP, and away from an overconfident former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and the Congress party, which had visibly lost connect with the ground in the past five years.

The tribal-dominated districts of Bastar and Sarguja overwhelmingly voted for the BJP this time, winning 22 out of 26 seats as compared to just one it had bagged in 2018.

Also Read: Chhattisgarh Election Results 2023: From disarray to sterling victory, this BJP win has few parallels in Indian politics

The BJP is hoping that these back-to-back welfare measures and strong political messaging will help it retain the trust of the tribals not only in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but in other poll-bound states such as Jharkhand with 27 percent tribal population and Odisha with 23 percent.

Aurangzeb Naqshbandi is a senior journalist who has been covering the Congress for 15 years, and is currently associated with Pixstory. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.