Indian National Congress on Sunday picked Charanjit Singh Channi as new Chief Minister of Punjab after the 'humiliated' Amarinder Singh submitted his resignation on Saturday.
"Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab," senior Congress leader Harish Rawat tweeted.
Channi, 49, will take oath as Chief Minister at 11 am on Monday, September 20.
After discussion with the Punjab MLAs, AICC had earlier proposed the name of Sukhjinder Randhawa for the post of CM.
Earlier today a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was postponed after Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni - believed to be the party's first choice - declined the offer. Soni said "no" at a late-night meeting with Rahul Gandhi; she stressed on the "ramifications" of a non-Sikh Chief Minister, particularly with an election due.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday stepped down from his post after months of political tussle with his bete noire and PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu. Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation to Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, Singh said he had been "humiliated thrice" and that the Congress is free to "appoint whoever they trust".
Earlier, reports had surfaced that a section of Congress MLAs had written to the party leadership to convene a CLP meeting to discuss the poll strategy and progress on the 18-point agenda, which includes action on the 2015 desecration cases and arrest of the "big fish" in drug rackets.
Last month, four ministers and around two dozen party legislators had raised a banner of revolt against Amarinder Singh and had said they had no faith in his ability to honour unfulfilled promises.
Congress sources, who were once close to Amarinder, whisper his handling of the farmers’ stir and favorites among ministers and legislators getting the bulk of development projects sanctioned in their constituencies, led to his downfall in the party. Pictures circulating on Whatsapp on his lavish parties at his farmhouse, too, proved to be unnerving for many partymen.
