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CM Sai expands cabinet: 3 new faces signal generational shift in Chhattisgarh politics
The Statesman Kolkata
|August 21, 2025
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expanded his cabinet on Wednesday, inducting three first-time legislators in a move aimed at balancing caste, community, and regional representation.
With this, the strength of the council of ministers has increased from 11 to 14, marking the first expansion of Sai's tenure.
The inclusion of three first-time legislators brings new faces into the state's political mainstream, signaling a generational shift in Chhattisgarh politics.
The new ministers include Rajesh Agrawal from Ambikapur, Gajendra Yadav from Durg City, and Guru Khushwant Saheb from Arang. All three won their Assembly seats last year by defeating senior Congress leaders, underscoring the BJP's strategy of rewarding fresh faces with ministerial responsibility.
Agrawal, who narrowly defeated former Deputy Chief Minister T S Singhdeo by just 94 votes, represents the influential trading community in northern Chhattisgarh. Yadav, associated with the RSS, secured a decisive victory over Congress veteran Arun Vora, while Saheb, son of revered Satnami spiritual leader Guru Baldas, unseated minister Shiv Dehriya in Arang, giving the Satnami community enhanced representation in the state cabinet.
This story is from the August 21, 2025 edition of The Statesman Kolkata.
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