Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Brahm Mohindra To Take Oath As Deputy CMs Of Punjab
Late last night, AICC Treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has confirmed that Sukhjinder Randhawa and Brahm Mohindra have been appointed as the new deputy chief ministers of the Punjab government.
Amid the current change in leadership in Punjab, Congress leader Harish Rawat had also made a big announcement regarding the state government. The senior party leader had confirmed yesterday that there will be two deputy chief ministers in the Punjab government.
This announcement was made by Harish Rawat shortly after the appointment of Charanjit Singh Channi as the new chief minister of Punjab was made by the Congress high command. Charanjit Singh Channi will be the first-ever Dalit leader to be the Punjab CM.
Harish Rawat, while speaking to reporters, said, “There will be two Deputy Chief Ministers in the Punjab government. There is a Sikh community in the state, so now one Deputy Chief Minister will be from Jat Sikh community and the other will be from the Hindu community.”
There were several names that were being considered for the position of the two deputy chief ministers in Punjab. From the Jat Sikh community, the name of Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s name was being considered while from the Hindu community, the names of Brahm Singh Mohindra (MLA from Patiala rural), Vijay Inder Singla (MLA from Sangrur), and Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Punjab Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister).
Charanjit Singh Channi is scheduled to take the oath as the new chief minister of Punjab today, September 20, at 11 am, after meeting with Governor Banwarilal Purohit. It is being speculated that the Deputy CMs will also take the oath today alongside Channi.
The gathering at the oath-taking ceremony of Punjab’s first Dalit CM is assumed to be a small event with around 40 attendees. Sources have said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi might not attend the oath-taking ceremony, which will be held in Chandigarh today.
Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down from the post of Punjab CM on September 18 ahead of the meeting of party legislators in the faction-ridden state unit as the party high command decided to effect a change of guard in the border state ahead of assembly polls early next year.