Congress on Saturday declared the outgoing Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's name as the next chief minister of Punjab following Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation.
Channi has said that he will take oath on Monday.
Channi, 47, is the third time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib. He was also the leader of opposition from 2015 to 2016. Channi will be the first schedule caste chief minister of Punjab. Belonging to the Ramdasia Sikh community, he will be the 16th CM of Punjab.
Political analysts believe that by choosing Channi as the CM face, the Congress has played the dallit card in Punjab to tap the 32 per cent Dalit voters of the state in the upcoming assembly elections.
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Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat tweted, "It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab."
Meanwhile, General Secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Ajay Maken tweeted, "Sh. Harish Rawat and senior leaders of Punjab, including newly elected CLP leader, have been called by Hon'ble Governor at 6:30 PM."
Sepculations were rife that Sukjinder Singh Randhawa would be the new CM, but PCCC, President Navjot Sidhu opposed his name, sources said.
