Chandigarh: Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as chief minister on Monday at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office. Channi is the first Dalit Sikh Chief Minister of the state.

Earlier, Charanjit Singh Channi offered prayer at a Gurudwara in Rupnagar before the swearing-in ceremony. 

PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu hailed the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit leader, as historic. 

"Historic !! Punjab’s first Dalit CM-Designate … Will be written with Golden letters in History. A tribute to the spirit of the Constitution and the Congress !! Congratulations @CHARANJITCHANNI Bai".

Channi was previously Minister of Technical Education and Training under Amarinder Singh and leader of the opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly. He is a member of the Dalit community. He was born in the village of Makrona Kalan. He read law at Panjab University and has an MBA from PTU Jalandhar.

Read: Punjab Congress crisis: ‘I believe CM face should be a Sikh’, says Ambika Soni

In a surprising political development of Sunday, Channi was elected the Punjab Congress Legislative Party leader by party MLAs and the high command. Prior to his election, another Congress MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa was rumoured to become the next chief minister of Punjab. 

Former union minister and currently Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni on Sunday declined the offer to be the next chief minister of the state. She said Punjab should have a Sikh as chief minister.

After Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as Chief Minister of Punjab on Saturday, the suspense continued over the new chief ministerial face in the state followed by the party MLAs resolution that interim president Sonia Gandhi’s decision will be final in the matter.