Charanjit Singh Channi named next Punjab CM; to meet Governor shortly

Amid long uncertainty over the face of the next Punjab Chief Minister, senior Congress leader Harish Rawat announced on Sunday evening that Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) of Punjab. 

Rawat and senior leaders of Punjab, including newly elected CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, have been called by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to the Raj Bhavan at 6:30 PM.

A Dalit leader from the Ramdasia Sikh community, Charanjit Singh Channi is the current Minister for Technical Educational & Industrial Training in the Punjab government. He is a three-time  MLA from the Chamkaur Sahib Assembly Constituency. Channi has served as the leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly from 2015-16.

Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa snubbed?

Earlier, sources had told Republic Media Network that Congress MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was one of the front-runners to be selected as the Punjab Chief Minister. A number of MLAs had gathered outside Randhawa's residence extending support to the Congress leader. However, the party High Command appears to have picked Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister for the border state. 

Reacting to Harish Rawat's announcement, Randhawa told media that he welcomes the party's decision and is not disappointed over Channi's election. 

"It's high command's decision..., I welcome it. Channi is like my younger brother. I am not at all disappointed. The people who get disappointed are the ones who never saw power. I have seen power from my father's time," said Randhawa.