CHANDIGARH : Punjab Congress Crisis Live Updates: A day after Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down, Charanjit Singh Channi was chosen as the next Punjab Chief Minister. Channi, who will be the first Dalit CM of Punjab, will take oath at 11 am on Monday.
“We have presented our stance, unanimously supported by party MLAs, before the Governor. Oath-taking ceremony will be held at 11 am tomorrow,” Channi was quoted as saying .
Channi was the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha during the previous SAD-BJP regime. The Chamkaur Sahib MLA was inducted as the minister in in the first Cabinet and was allotted the portfolios of Technical Education and Industrial Training, Employment Generation and Training, and Tourism and Culture Affairs. He has been vocal against Amarinder for “not paying attention” to issues raised by party leaders.
Channi had been vocal in raising the Dalit issues in the state and had recently rebelled against Amarinder. He is considered close to AICC leader Rahul Gandhi and became the choice of the Congress high command for the post after two Jat Sikhs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu opposed the party’s move to appoint a Hindu leader Sunil Jakhar. His name was announced amid the fight for power among the Jat Sikh leaders.
