Veteran Chhattisgarh BJP leader Nand Kumar Sai joined the Congress on Monday, providing a boost to the Bhupesh Baghel government in an election year.

Sai, who was the BJP’s leader of the Opposition in undivided Madhya Pradesh, won two Lok Sabha elections from the parent state in addition to one from Chhattisgarh. He also won two Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh apart from getting two Rajya Sabha terms.

He used to be the BJP’s backbone in Chhattisgarh but was denied the chief minister’s post as the central leadership preferred Raman Singh.

An elated Congress celebrated Sai’s joining as he brings substantial support from the tribal constituencies. More important, Sai said emphatically that the Sanatan Hindu religion, Ram and the cow cannot be the BJP’s monopoly and that the Baghel government had shown how to serve Hinduism in the state.

Sai lauded Baghel for giving a higher profile to the Kaushalya Mata temple, building the Ram Gaman Path and protecting cows in what he said was a far more effective way.

He said the creative use of cow dung in Chhattisgarh – where it is used to make vermicompost and paint, among other things --- should be followed by every state.

Sai also said that today’s BJP was different from that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani. He claimed that ithad become difficult to work for the poor while remaining in the BJP, and that theCongress was a much better platform to do that.

He added that the Baghel government was doing a lot for the education of tribal communities.

In his resignation letter on Sunday, Sai said: “Throughout my journey in the BJP, I was given various important posts and duties which I discharged with full dedication and sincerity. I thank the party for it.

“But for the last few years, there was a plot to tarnish my image by some BJP leaders and my dignity was constantly being hurt by false allegations and other activities. I am feeling extremely hurt because of that and after thinking seriously, I am resigning from my primary membership… and all my posts.”

The BJP was not dismissive about Sai’s exit, admitting that he was a very senior leader and saying efforts should be made to talk to him and retain him in the party.

Raman Singh said on Sunday: “We have just received his resignation. We will try to bring him back to the party.”