The Congress announced on Sunday that Charanjit Singh Channi has been elected as the leader of the Punjab Congress Legislative Party (CLP), paving the way for his appointment as the chief minister.
The development comes a day after Congress veteran Amarinder Singh resigned as chief minister amid a bitter power tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu with less than five months to go for the Assembly polls. “It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab,” AICC general secretary Harish Rawat said in a tweet.
Earlier, senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was said to be the frontrunner for the post.
However, after Channi’s name was announced, Randhawa said, “I welcome the decision of the party high command.” Another senior leader, Brahm Mohindra, too welcomed the election of Channi, who is considered close to state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Channi met the Punjab Governor and staked claim to form government, sources said, adding that Rawat and the party’s central observers Ajay Maken and Harish Chaudhary accompanied him. Amarinder Singh meanwhile said he hopes that Channi is able to keep the border state of Punjab safe.
Channi through his letter to the Governor Punjab Shri Banwarilal Purohit, informed that in a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party held on September 19, he was elected as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. Governor Punjab Banwarilal Purohit congratulated him and invited him to take oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab on September 20, 2021 at Punjab Raj Bhawan at 11am. Channi was accompanied by senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, PPCC President Navjot Sidhu, Cabinet Ministers Brahm Mohindra, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukh Sarkaria and Aruna Chaudhary.
