Charanjit Singh Channi was the 16th & The 1st Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab. Succeeded by Captain Amarinder Singh. He belongs to the Ramdasiya Sikh community. He contested the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur legislative assembly constituencies, but lost both the seats to his opponents from the Aam Aadmi Party.
| Real Name/ Full Name | Charanjit Singh Channi |
| Profession | Politician Businessmen |
| Charanjit Singh Channi Height | 5 feet 7 inch |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Personal Life-
| Born | 1 March 1963 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2021) | 58 Years |
| Birth Place | Village Makrona Kalan, Chamkaur Sahib, Punjab |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Home Towm | Kharar SAS Nagar, Punjab |
| School | Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Kharar |
| College/University | Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh Punjab University, Chandigarh Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar |
| Education | Post Graduate in Management |
| Religion | Sikh |
| Charanjit Singh Channi Cast | Ramdasia Community |
Family
| Marital Status | Married |
| Charanjit Singh Channi Wife | Dr. Kamaljit Kaur |
| Children | Navjit Singh Rhythmjit Singh |
| Parents | Father– S. Harsa Singh Mother– Late Ajmer Kaur |
| Siblings | Brother– Manmohan Singh Dr. Manohar Singh Sukhwant Singh Sukhi Sister– Surinder Kaur |
Career
| Political Party | Indian National Congress INC |
| Roles | 2007- MLA from Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency (Independent) 2012- MLA from Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency (INC) 2015- Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly (till- Nov. 2016) 2017- Cabinet Minister, Govt. of Punjab (Dept- Technical Education & Training) |
| Succeeded (20 Sep. 2021) | Amrinder Singh |
| Governor | Banwalilal Purohit |
Facts About Charanjit Singh Channi
- Charanjit Singh Channi’s father Harsa Singh was a Tent House Owner in Kharar. During college time, Channi used to help him in his father’s Business After this, when he graduated, he became the owner of a Petrol Pump.
- Chinna remained associated with politics since student life but in the true sense his political career began in 2002 with his election as the President of Kharar Municipal Council. Channi first went for elections in 2007 as an independent and won from Chamkaur Sahib assembly constituency.
- He knotted with Congress in 2012 and was again elected MLA from the same seat.
- Charanjit Singh Channi became Congress Member of legislative assembly for the third time from Chamkaur Sahib seat of Punjab. He defeated Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate by 12308 votes in the last assembly elections. Channi got 61060 votes.
- Charanjit Singh Channi is considered one of the closest people to Rahul Gandhi and is also considered trustworthy.
- This is the first time in the history of Punjab that a Dalit face has become the Chief Minister. Till now only Jatt Sikhs have been CM in the state. Jat Sikhs constitute around 20 per cent of the state’s population of about 30 million, while the Dalit population (Hindus and Sikh Dalits) is 32 per cent. Other Hindu population in the state is about 38 per cent. Apart from this, other communities which include Muslims, Christians also constitute about 10 percent of their population.
- At the end of the legislative assembly term, Channi was appointed as the Chief Ministerial candidate of Congress for the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
- The official campaign was named Sada Channi, Sada CM (Our Channi, Our CM). Official campaign song Channi Karda Masle Hal by singer Surmandeep Mansa was launched in February 2022.
- He contested the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election from Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur legislative assembly constituencies, but lost both the seats to his opponents from the Aam Aadmi Party.
Net Worth
Charanjit Singh Channi had disclosed assets worth Rs 14 crore 51 lakh in his affidavit to the Election Commission in the 2017 assembly elections. In this affidavit, he said that he and his family have total deposits of 42 lakh rupees in different bank accounts. Apart from this, he has a Toyota Fortuner in his name and an Innova and Hyundai car in the name of his wife, whose total cost is 37 lakhs.
Controversy
- A video in 2018 showed Channi tossing a coin to choose a lecturer from two candidates. Oppositions called upon the voters to remove him. The minister said that both the candidates are equal and he himself suggested the toss.
- A few days after taking charge of a cabinet minister, Channi was considered by an astrologer to keep the entrance of his house in the east direction. After this he will go further in the field of politics. Acting on the advice of the astrologer, Channi illegally captured the park outside her house in Sector 2, Chandigarh. However, within a few hours, the Chandigarh Administration had closed this road. It is also told that he followed the advice of his astrologer and took an elephant ride to his official residence.
- Charanjit Singh Channi and his nephew were accused by Aam Aadmi Party’s Sukhpal Khaira of being involved in illegal mining. To which Channi reacted saying that the picture quoted is of a public function, he and his family have no involvement in mining.
- As Minister of Technical Education, Channi was accused of recommending the transfer of an Indian Administrative Service officer whom he did not like.
- In another case, he was accused of sending vulgar messages to a woman IAS officer Kavita Singh. The woman IAS did not file a complaint about this anywhere and the matter was resolved between the two.