Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 19
Congress leader Charanjit Channi was elected Punjab CLP leader on Sunday—ending hours of speculation about who takes over reins of the state government after Amarinder Singh.
“It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. Charanjit Singh Channi has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab,” Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat said.
This comes hours after rumours said Sukhjinder Randhawa had been elected Congress Legislature Party leader.
Amarinder Singh submitted his resignation from the position on Saturday, unleashing chaos. Capt Amarinder said he’d resigned in humiliation and said he was keeping his options open.
He’d also vowed to ensure his arch political rival Navjot Singh Sidhu would never get the position. Amarinder Singh’s decision forced the Congress to huddle together urgently to find an acceptable successor.
- Hours before quitting as CM, Capt Amarinder writes stinging letter to Sonia Gandhi, raises key concerns
- ‘Punjab Chief Minister must be Sikh leader’, Ambika Soni rejects offer to head state
- Capt Amarinder: ‘He is incompetent, will oppose any move to make Navjot Sidhu CM’
The decision came after hours of deliberations on the best possible combination to represent communities, castes and regions. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is believed to have discussed the issue with Ambika Soni, among other party veterans. Soni, a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Punjab, was offered the position but she declined it saying it should go to a Sikh leader.
The other contenders for the position were Partap Bajwa, Ravneet Bittu, and Sunil Jakhar.
It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab.@INCIndia @RahulGandhi @INCPunjab pic.twitter.com/iboTOvavPd
— Harish Rawat (@harishrawatcmuk) September 19, 2021
Punjab: Charanjit Singh Channi is next CM pick
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