Charanjit Singh Channi to take oath as Punjab CM today
Charanjit Singh Channi
New Delhi: Congress MLA Charanjit Singh Channi will take oath as the new Chief Minister of Punjab at 11 am on Monday.
Addressing the media after meeting Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday, the Chief Minister-designate of Punjab said, "We have presented our stance, unanimously supported by party MLAs, before the Governor. Oath taking ceremony will take place at 11 am tomorrow."
Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated Channi for the new responsibility.
"Congratulations to Charanjit Singh Channi Ji for the new responsibility. We must continue to fulfil the promises made to the people of Punjab. Their trust is of paramount importance," Gandhi tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Congress' in charge of Punjab Harish Rawat said Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party and is set to take over as the next Chief Minister. "It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab," tweeted Rawat.
Channi, a Dalit leader, was Technical Education Minister in the outgoing Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's Cabinet. After the party announced his name as Punjab CLP leader, the Chief Minister-designate Channi, while leaving from JW Marriott Hotel in Chandigarh for Governor's House, said, "I will speak after leaving from Governor's house." According to the official website of the Punjab government, Channi remained Municipal Councillor for three terms and moved on to become the President of Municipal Council Kharar for a two-term. He was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Chamkaur Sahib Consistency for the first time in 2007. He was elected to the Assembly again in 2012 and then in 2017.
In 2015, Channi was elected as Leader of the Opposition in the 14th Punjab Vidhan Sabha. In 2017, he was appointed as the Cabinet Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training, Employment Generation and also Science and Technology in the government of Punjab.
Channi will succeed Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the Chief Minister on Saturday following months of infighting between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.