Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday takes oath as the 16th Chef Minister of Punjab after his predecessor Captain Amrinder Singh resigns owing to the differences in the Congress party.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the newly elected state congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also participated in the oath ceremony.
Charanjit Channi, 58, is a three-time MLA from Rupnagar’s Chamkaur Sahib and will be Punjab’s first Dalit Chief Minister. His elevation is significant given polls are due next year and Dalits are an estimated 31 per cent of Punjab’s population.
In the outgoing cabinet, Channi held the portfolio of technical education and industrial training. Previously, he was the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly for 11 months, from December 2015 to November 2016.
(With inputs from news media)
