Punjab CM Charanjit Channi finalises new cabinet; 5 Amarinder govt ministers dropped

Finalising his cabinet, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday held his final deliberations with ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi regarding the council of ministers. As per sources, several ministers from the Amarinder Singh cabinet like - Balbir Sidhu, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Gurpreet Singh Kangad, Sadhu Singh Dharmasot and Sundar Shyam Arora have been dropped from the Channi cabinet. Names of the council of ministers were finalised after back-to-back marathon meetings between Rahul Gandhi and Channi, sans Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Channi finalises cabinet

On Thursday, Channi had visited Delhi four times in the span of 2-3 days to submit his list of council of ministers to the Gandhis. As per sources, Brahm Mohindra, Rana Gurjeet, Manpreet Badal, Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbir Singh Sarkariya, Aruna Choudhary, Gurkirat Kotli, Raja Varing, Razia Sultana, Dr Raj Kumar Verka, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, Sangat Singh Giljiyan, Kaka Randeep Singh, Pargat Singh, Kuljeet Singh Nagra have been inducted into the new cabinet. Channi has announced that the new cabinet will be sworn in on Sunday at 4:30 PM.

Amid souring relations between 79-year-old ex-CM Amarinder Singh and the Gandhi family, the Congress veteran tweeted, "If a senior party leader like me can be treated like this, I wonder what the workers must go through!". He also accused Gandhi siblings' advisors of misleading them adding that there is a limit to humiliation and he could not have worked this way. Amarinder Singh has held a meeting with his loyalists vowing to oppose Congress' bid to put up Navjot Singh Sidhu as its CM face in 2022 polls.

Channi takes oath as Punjab CM

On Monday, Congress High Command's pick 58-year-old Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab, in the presence of Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhawan, Chandigarh. Apart from Channi, two Deputy CMs - Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (A Jat Sikh) and OP Soni (a Hindu) too took oath. Channi, a Minister for Technical Educational in the Amarinder Singh government, is a 3-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib and a vocal critic of the ex-CM and a close aide of Navjot Sidhu.

Blindsided by the CLP meeting called without his knowledge, 79-year-old Capt Amarinder Singh tendered his resignation from the Punjab CM post after 4.5 years along with his council of ministers. Informing Sonia Gandhi of his decision, he lamented, "I feel humiliated. I cannot run a government like this. It's better that they give the Chief Ministership to someone they trust". Terming Sidhu an incompetent, anti-national, pro-Pak man, Singh said that he will oppose if Sidhu is picked as the next CM. Vowing to remain in politics, Singh said, "I will consult my friends in politics and come up with a decision soon". While Singh and Sidhu have locked horns since 2019, the final blow to Singh came when the Congress High Command picked Sidhu as Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief, inspite of the CM's vehement opposition.