CHANDIGARH: Nominated Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi hands over a letter to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit after being announced as the next CM of Punjab, at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on Sunday, September 19, 2021.
The unanimously elected leader of the Punjab Congress Legislature Party, MLA Charanjit Singh Chani is all set to take oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab at 11 am today. Election. The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Chandigarh.
Channi, a three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar, will be the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab. He will take over as the new CM after the resignation of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on Saturday.
Ever since Navjot Singh Sidhu took over as PPCC chief, the Congress infighting in Punjab has been almost perpetual. Soon after, Amarinder submitted his resignation, citing dissatisfaction and ‘insult’ within the party. He submitted his resignation to the state governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Charanjit Singh Channi
The appointment of the Congress MLA as the new CM comes a few months before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. Here are some things to note about the first Dalit leader of Punjab.
- Channi was the Minister of Technical Education in the cabinet of outgoing Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
- According to the Punjab government’s official website, Channi was the Municipal Councilor for three terms and became the Chairman of the Municipal Council Kharar for two terms.
- He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly for the first time in 2007 from Chamkaur Sahib seat. He was elected to the assembly seat in 2012 and again in 2017.
- In 2015, Channi was elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the 14th Punjab Legislative Assembly.
- In 2017, he was appointed as the Cabinet Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training, Employment Generation and Science and Technology in the Government of Punjab.
Rahul Gandhi unlikely to attend
According to sources, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Charanjit Singh Channi as the new Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday in Chandigarh. He further informed that the gathering would be small in the function and some other leaders would also not attend it.
two deputy CMs
Till the time Channi’s appointment was announced, there was speculation about the appointment of two deputy CMs in Punjab. Congress party in-charge Harish Rawat confirmed this on Monday.
Talking to the new agency ANI, Harish Rawat said, “There will be two deputy chief ministers in the Punjab government. There is a Sikh community in the state, so now one deputy chief minister will be from the Jat Sikh community and the other will be. Hindu community.”
Read also: Punjab will have two deputy CMs: Harish Rawat
Read also: It is not correct to say that Sidhu did not want any other leader to become CM except him: Rawat
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