New Delhi: Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday. He was administered the oath by Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Along with Channi, two Deputy Chief Ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa and Om Prakash Sonitook the oath.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu attended Charanjit Singh Channi's swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. However, former Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh skipped the event.
Charanjit Singh Channi has become the first Dalit Chief Minister of the state. While OP Soni is the Hindu face of the party, Randhawa is the Jat face.
Channi is considered a close confidant of Sidhu.
The move to appoint Channi, who belongs to the Ramdasia Sikh (Chamar) community, the next chief minister assumes significance as the assembly elections will be held in Punjab next year.
Channi, 49, becomes chief minister with less than six months to go before the assembly polls in Punjab.
An estimated 30 per cent of the state's population, counting both Sikhs and Hindus, is from that community.
The opposition BJP had earlier announced that if voted to power in Punjab, it will make a Dalit the chief minister, while the Shiromani Akali Dal -- which is fighting the polls in alliance with the BSP -- had said that its deputy CM would be from that community.
Channi was appointed the minister in Captain Amarinder Singh’s cabinet earlier on March 16, 2017.
The 48-year-old was earlier the Minister of Technical Educational and Industrial Training in the Punjab government.
He was among the leaders in the Congress’ Punjab unit who had raised voices against Captain Amarinder Singh.
Channi was earlier the leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly from 2015 to 2016.