New Delhi: Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi was sworn-in as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. Channi, who took the oath in Punjabi, became the first individual from the Dalit community to occupy the top post in Punjab. The 58-year-old leader was administered the oath of office and secrecy by governor Banwarilal Purohit at a simple ceremony in the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni took oath as the Deputy Chief Ministers.
Congress' surprise pick, Channi, one of the Captain's cabinet minister, had openly taken a clear stand against the former CM. Channi has also played a big role in leading the anti-Captain campaign within the party.
By choosing Channi, the Congress high command also played caste card to woo the Dalit voters in the upcoming Assembly election, and counter the move of Shiromani Akali Dal, who has an alliance with the Bahujan Samajwadi Party(BSP).
Also read: Know more about Punjab's new CM
Soon after taking the oath, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu congratulated Channi.
Earlier in the day, Channi offered prayers at Gurdwara Shri Katalgarh Sahib in Rupnagar.
Channi was born in Punjab’s Bhajauli village near Kurali in 1963. He had his first tryst with politics as the president of the students' union at the Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Kharar. During his graduation at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh, he was elected general secretary of the students’ union.Known for his love for academics, Channi is a trained lawyer with two postgraduate degrees, one in business administration and another in political science.
In fact, he graduated in law from Panjab University during his stint as a councillor. When he was first elected as an MLA from Chamkaur Sahib, he took up MBA from Punjab Technical University as he thought "it was a good subject”. While serving as the leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in 2016, he completed his post-graduation in political science from Panjab University. According to media reports, Channi has been pursuing his Ph.D on the Indian National Congress in the political science department of Panjab University.
Channi forayed into mainstream politics as a municipal councillor and served in this capacity for three terms. He later went on to become the president of the Khrar municipal council for two terms. In 2007, he was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Chamkaur Sahib Consistency for the first time. He was re-elected in 2012 and in 2017.
Veteran Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh had resigned as the chief minister on Saturday after months-long power-sharing tussle with Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu. After tendering his resignation, Amarinder had said he felt humiliated by the way he was treated by the party high command.
