Congratulatory wishes have been pouring on Charanjit Singh Channi after he was announced as the next Punjab Chief Minister on Sunday evening by the Congress party. Captain Aamarinder Singh, Rahul Gandhi and others extended their wishes for the new CM who will be taking oath on Monday at 11 am.
Channi is first Dalit to hold the CM post in the state, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned following a bitter power tussle in the party.
Even though Amarinder Singh has stepped down as the chief minister amid infighting among certain Punjab Congress leaders, the veteran leader has not announced of taking an exit from the party. His resignation comes months before Punjab goes into Assembly elections.
There are reports doing rounds that Amarinder Singh will be defecting BJP, however there has been no confirmation yet. Reacting to the reports, BJP leader and union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi said, "Amarinder Singh was elected as Punjab CM by the public. But it's Congress govt in Punjab, so whoever they wish to choose as CM they can...It's matter of 4-6 months, public will choose its CM again."
The BJP has been prepping up itself for the assembly elections and it's former ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is also in the race with few more parties.
The BJP also took a swipe at the Congress over its Punjab chief ministerial pick Charanjit Singh Channi, citing reported allegations that he had sent an inappropriate text to an IAS officer in 2018.
BJP leader Amit Malviya, who is its IT department head, tweeted, “Congress’s CM pick Charanjit Channi faces action in a 3-year-old MeToo case. He had allegedly sent an inappropriate text to a woman IAS officer in 2018. It was covered up but the case resurfaced when Punjab Women’s Commission sent notice. Well done, Rahul.”
Malviya also posted a story reported in May this year that said that outgoing chief minister Amarinder Singh’s rivals within the party had accused him of “hounding” them with old cases.
Channi was elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab on Sunday and will be the next chief minister, succeeding Amarinder Singh who resigned a day ago following a bitter power tussle in the state unit.
