Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 20: Even as the 58-year old Dalit Sikh Charanjit Singh Channi was sworn-in as the new chief minister of Punjab on Monday, indications were clear that the trouble for the Congress is only beginning in the election-bound state rather than being over with the installation of the new government.
Not only that the deposed chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the former state Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who at one stage had emerged as the front-runner for the post of the chief minister, gave a miss to the swearing-in ceremony making their disappointments clear over the developments, Jakhar also launched a direct attack on his successor as the PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is believed to had been instrumental in blocking Jakhar’s way to the chief minister’s office.
The Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy Channi and two deputy chief ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni with Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, State unit president Sidhu, the party in-charge of the state Harish Rawat and others present on the occasion.
Soon after the swearing-in, a statement by Rawat that the coming elections in the state would be fought under the leadership of Sidhu, sparked off a major controversy and opportunity to Jakhar to launch a blistering attack on Sidhu and the party.
Though Sidhu and Jakhar had joined hands to ensure the ouster of Amarinder Singh, the elevation of Channi and refusal by Sidhu to back Jakhar’s candidature for the post, as Sidhu was lobbying for his own promotion, instantly created enmity between the two.
Reacting to Rawat’s statement that the party would be fighting the upcoming Assembly polls under Sidhu, Jakhar hit out at the state Congress president, tweeting, “On the swearing-in day of @Charnjit_channi as Chief Minister, Mr Rawats’s statement that “elections will be fought under Sidhu”, is baffling. It’s likely to undermine CM’s authority but also negate the very ‘raison d’être’ of his selection for this position.”
The Congress general secretary in-charge of Punjab Rawat had told a TV channel that Sidhu would be the next CM if Congress came to power in the state. The statement came at a time when Sidhu’s followers were upset with Channi’s appointment as the new CM.
Jakhar took on Sidhu after the latter opposed the party’s move to name anyone except him as the next CM. Punjab State Farmers Commission chairperson Ajayvir Jakhar, a nephew of Sunil Jakhar, also resigned from his post. There were murmurs in the party that if Sidhu was named the CM even at a later stage, it could become an issue with the Dalits who have been raising a voice that their representative was not the party’s choice for the upcoming polls.
As Channi took the oath at 11 am, he was at work the whole night placating the Jat Sikh leaders. Late at night, Channi held a meeting with Harish Rawat and central observers Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken. Later, he went to the house of Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who too was once a frontrunner for being the next CM of the state. Early in the morning, Channi went to a local gurdwara to pay obeisance before swearing-in.
Channi is the first Dalit Sikh chief minister of Punjab. He was Technical Education Minister in the Amarinder Singh Cabinet. A close aide of Sidhu, he was among the ministers who had rebelled against Capt. Amarinder, expressing lack of faith in the former Chief Minister’s ability to fulfill the party’s election promises. He had attacked him on several issues — the Bargari sacrilege issue, failure to curb the drugs and transport mafias and other unkept election promises made in 2017.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Channi on being sworn-in as Punjab Chief Minister. “Congratulations to Shri Charanjit Singh Channi Ji on being sworn-in as Punjab’s Chief Minister. Will continue to work with the Punjab government for the betterment of the people of Punjab,” Modi tweeted.
In his first address to the media as the chief minister, Channi showing strong support to the agitating farmers urged the Centre to withdraw the three farm laws. “We have to strengthen Punjab. It is the state of farmers. I appeal to the Centre to withdraw the farm laws. I will sever my head but I won’t let any harm come to the farmers,” he said.
Farmers in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have been protesting against three contentious farm laws. Several rounds of meetings between the Centre and farmer leaders have ended in deadlock.
Expressing his gratitude to Congress, Channi got emotional as he thanked the party leadership for choosing “an aam aadmi (common man)” for the top post. Channi said he will become the voice of the common people of Punjab and will always remain accessible to the people. “Party is supreme. CM is not supreme. Congress ideology will be followed. We will all be united. Nobody will be able to separate us on the lines of caste and religion,” he said.
Claiming he would end corruption in government offices, Channi said “either corrupt officers would stay or I would stay.”
On his predecessor, Amarinder Singh, Channi said he did good work as CM. “He is also known as the protector of water rights. He is our party leader,” he said. The party high command has given an 18-point programme and we are committed to it, said Channi, adding promises made will be fulfilled. “We will ensure a transparent government,” he added.
“I am a representative of the common man, the farmer and anyone who is oppressed. I am not a representative of the rich. Those who are into sand-mining and other illegal activities, don’t come to me. I am not your representative,” Channi warned.
The Congress has tried to keep the caste balance in the appointment of the new chief minister and the two deputy chief ministers accommodating all the three dominant castes in the state, Channi a dalit sikh, Randhawa Jat Sikh and Soni a Hindu.
Channi had been vocal in raising the Dalit issues in the state and had recently rebelled against Amarinder. He is considered close to AICC leader Rahul Gandhi and became the choice of the Congress high command for the post after two Jat Sikhs Randhawa and Sidhu opposed the party’s move to appoint a Hindu leader Sunil Jakhar.
After the decision was taken, however, several leaders admitted that the appointment of a Dalit Sikh was the smartest move by the Congress as it would upset the apple-carts of both the Akali-BSP combine and the BJP and AAP. All the parties had been wooing for the dalit votes who constitute about 32 per cent of the electorate in Punjab. The BJP had promised to appoint a dalit as the chief minister if voted to power, while the Shiromani Akali Dal joined hands with the BSP to garner dalit votes and the AAP is also heavily banking on this vote bank.