Raman Singh to take oath on Thursday

Singh's political journey started in 1983 when he became a councilor in Kawardha municipality

Ayurvedic doctor-turned politician Raman Singh was on Monday elected leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party and would head the government in Chhattisgarh.

The 61-year-old legislator from Rajnandgaon would take oath as the chief minister of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, for the third time. Singh was elected as the leader at a meeting held at the party headquarters in Raipur.

Singh, along with senior party leaders, went to the Raj Bhawan in the evening and staked BJP’s claim to form the government in Chhattisgarh for the third term. The BJP bagged 49 seats in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly.

Born on October 15, 1952, to Vighnaharan Singh Thakur and Sudha Singh, Raman Singh is married to Veena Singh. After graduating in ayurvedic medicine, he started practicing in Kawardha and rendered free medical services to the poor.

His political journey started in 1983 when he became a councillor of Kawardha municipality. He was elected to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly consecutively in 1990 and 1993. In 1999, he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon constituency in Chhattisgarh.

In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, he became the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry from 1999 to 2003. He was later named the president of BJP in the new state of Chhattisgarh

Singh led the party to victory in the 2003 state Assembly elections and became the first choice to take over as the chief minister.

According to party officials, Singh would be sworned in as the chief minister on December 12. The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the police parade ground, the officials said, adding that top party functionaries will attend the function.