Congress picks Dalit leader Charanjit Channi as Punjab CM; oath ceremony on Monday

Chandigarh, Sep 19: Charanjit Singh Channi will be sworn in as Punjab's first Dalit Chief Minister at 11 am Monday. Channi's selection assumes significance as the dissension-riven Congress faces the Assembly polls in less than five months.

"We have made our claim before Governor. Oath will be taken at 11 am tomorrow," Punjab CM-elect Channi told reporters.

The Congress picked Charanjit Singh Channi as the next chief minister of Punjab on Sunday, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned following a bitter power tussle in the party. Channi, 58, will be the first Dalit to hold the post in the state.

AICC general secretary Harish Rawat said in a tweet, "It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab."

The BJP had earlier announced that if voted to power in Punjab, it will make a Dalit the chief minister, while the SAD, which is fighting the coming polls in alliance with the BSP, had said that its Deputy Chief Minister would be from the Dalit community.

Early in the day, hectic talks were held to finalise the name of new leader of the CLP, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned as the chief minister amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu. Rawat, Maken and Harish Chaudhary who have been camping at a hotel here held discussions with the MLAs and took their feedback.