'Poll Gimmicks': Appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab CM draws flak from leaders

Chandigarh, Sept 20: Amid the Punjab crisis, Charanjit Singh Channi was sworn in as Chief Minister of Punjab on Monday. Governor Banwarilal Purihot also administered the oath of office to Congress leaders Sukhjinder S Randhawa and OP Soni as ministers in the state cabinet. The swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Congress in Charge Harish Rawat, and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Navjot Singh Sidhu.

 

Channi a three-time MLA from Rupnagar's Chamkaur Sahib - is Punjab's first Dalit Chief Minister. He has served as Technical Education Minister in the Captain Amarinder Singh government. Channi remained Municipal Councilor for three terms and moved on to become the President of Municipal Council Kharar for a two-term.

 

He was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Chamkaur Sahib Consistency for the first time in 2007. He was elected to the assembly seat again in 2012 and then in 2017. In 2015, Channi was elected as Leader of the Opposition in the 14th Punjab Vidhan Sabha. In 2017, he was appointed as the Cabinet Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training, Employment Generation and also Science and Technology in the government of Punjab.

 

 

On Sunday, after several rounds of parleys, Channi was selected for the post by the party high command, following Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation. Amarinder Singh on Saturday submitted his resignation to state Governor Banwarilal Purohit, following months of infighting between him and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. These development came months before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

 

Besides, Dalit leader and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati slammed the Congress for its decision to induct Channi as the new Punjab CM just before the state is scheduled to go into polls. The former CM of Uttar Pradesh called it Congress’ poll gimmick for the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. Mayawati was quoted as saying that the appointment of Channi merely for a few months ahead of Punjab polls is a gimmick.

 

 

“I have also come to know through media that the next Punjab assembly elections will be fought under the leadership of a non-Dalit. This means that Congress still does not fully trust the Dalits. Congress is also scared of the SAD-BSP alliance in Punjab”, added Mayawati."

 

On the other hand, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij also took a jibe at him on Monday. He stated, "Whoever is being appointed as Punjab's CM is Congress party's internal matter but the person who takes all his decisions by a coin toss, is absolutely not worth it."

 

 

BJP's Punjab in-charge election, Dushyant Gautam said that the day when a Dalit was sworn in as chief minister, announcing that elections will be fought under someone else is an insult of the community by Congress. He further stated that Congress is a habitual offender and has been disrespecting Dalits for a long time. "They make Dalits Chief Minister for two to three months and then dump them. Look at what Jakhar is saying. In 2003-04 the state was Maharashtra, it was Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde was made CM and after winning polls. Shinde was thrown out," he added.