The High Command of Congress announced on Sunday the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the new commander of Punjab. He becomes the state’s first Dalit chief minister.
Charanjit Singh Channi was named the new CM of Punjab on Sunday, the day after Amarinder Singh stepped down from his senior post. (Photo: PTI file)
Charanjit Singh Channi will be Punjab’s new Prime Minister, Congress announced today after days of political unrest in the electoral state. Channi’s appointment comes after his predecessor The eventful departure of Captain Amarinder Singh after months of bitter feud with rival Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Channi’s appointment came after another outgoing minister – the name of Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa – made the rounds for the top post. But the high command of Congress quickly switched sides. Channi becomes the state’s first Dalit chief minister.
WHO IS CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI?
Charanjit Channi is a three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib. Before his surprise appointment today, the 49-year-old was Punjab’s Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training, Job Creation, and Science and Technology.
Channi beat several congressional heavyweights to the top positions such as Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sunil Jakhar and Ambika Soni, who turned down the offer, saying the Punjab prime minister must be a Sikh leader. Soni was considered the first choice by Congress for the top post.
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Channi’s appointment is significant as Punjab has about 33 percent of the Dalit population.
Channi was first elected to the State Assembly in 2007. He was previously President of the Kharar Municipal Council for two terms. Channi was also the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly in 2015-16. In March 2017 he became Minister in the government of Captain Amarinder Singh.
The newly elected Prime Minister is also at the center of a #MeToo case for allegedly sending an inappropriate text to an IAS official in 2018. The officer never filed a case and Captain Amarinder Singh then said the case had been “resolved”. . However, earlier this year the case came back after the state women’s commission sent a notice to the government asking for a response.
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