The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for 11am. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to attend it. Charanjit Singh Channi was chosen as Congress’ legislature party leader on Saturday, moments after Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab chief minister.
Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi is slated to take oath as Punjab’s 16th chief minister on Monday at 11am. The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Chandigarh.
Three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib constituency, the Dalit leader has quickly risen through the ranks.
Channi was born in Punjab’s Bhajauli village near Kurali in 1963. His family was settled in Malaysia where his father worked, but they returned to India in 1955 and settled in Kharar town of SAS Nagar district of Punjab.
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony, news agency ANI reported.
- The party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat said on Sunday that there will be two deputy chief ministers in the state. “One deputy chief minister will be from Jat Sikh community and the other will be from the Hindu community,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
- According to Congress leaders, the gathering at the ceremony will be small consisting of 40 people.
- Meanwhile, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said on Sunday that it is a matter of 4-6 months and the people will choose its chief minister again.
- Amarinder Singh on Saturday stepped down from the post of Punjab chief minister following months of infighting between him and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
- The resignation came less than an hour before the Congress held a legislature party (CLP) meeting. The meeting was originally planned to mitigate the infighting the party was facing between the Singh and Sidhu camps, but after former’s resignation, discussions were held on choosing the next chief minister of Punjab.
- Channi was unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Punjab and is set to take over as next chief minister following Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation.
- Channi was technical education minister in Amarinder Singh’s cabinet.
- He faces the daunting task of controlling the incessant infighting, which is unlikely to ebb even after Amarinder Singh’s exit and could emerge as a major challenge for a party trying to retain power in the state.
- Channi will have to hit the ground running to fulfil the 18-point to-do list of pending promises that the high command handed to Amarinder three months ago for implementation before the state polls.
