Raipur(Chhattisgarh): Devendra Pratap Singh, the BJP's pick for the Rajya Sabha election from Chhattisgarh, is a scion of the erstwhile Gond tribal royal family and an active member of RSS. He is the incumbent Zila Panchayat member from Lailunga in Raigarh district, a party functionary has said.
The BJP on Sunday chose Singh as its candidate for the lone vacancy from Chhattisgarh, replacing Saroj Pandey, who is retiring from the Upper House of Parliament. Of the five RS members from Chhattisgarh, the term of Pandey from BJP is set to expire. The other four Rajya Sabha members are KTS Tulsi, Phulodevi Netam, Ranjeet Rajan and Rajiv Shukla of Congress.
"Devendra Pratap Singh, a scion of erstwhile Gond (tribal) royal family of Raigarh, is the incumbent Zila Panchayat member from Lailunga in Raigarh district," a party functionary said. He is also a member of the Railway Hindi Advisory Committee, Ministry of Railways.
Singh, an active member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is the grandson of the late Raja Chakradhar Singh, a patron of classical dance and music, he said. "Congratulations to my elder, the king of Raigarh, the strong signature of Gond community, simple and gentle natured, respected brother Shri Devendra Pratap Singh ji for (being nominated as) Rajya Sabha (candidate)," State Finance Minister OP Choudhary wrote on his X handle. In the 90-member state Assembly, the ruling BJP has 54 MLAs while the Congress has 35. The Gondwana Gantantra Party has one member in the assembly
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