Rahul Gandhi expected to attend Channi's oath-taking ceremony today

Channi is learnt to have strong backing from Sidhu

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS E Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab CM in Chandigarh today, news agency ANI reported. Earlier, there were reports that Rahul might not attend the event. The oath-taking will take place at 11am.

A minister in the outgoing Amarinder Singh Cabinet, Channi's selection assumes significance as the dissension-riven Congress faces the assembly polls in less than five months. The Congress naming Channi, a dalit face who comes from the Rupnagar district in the state's Malwa belt, assumes significance as Punjab has a population of nearly 32 per cent from the community.

The BJP had earlier announced that if voted to power in Punjab, it will make a Dalit the chief minister, while the SAD, which is fighting the coming polls in alliance with the BSP, had said its deputy chief minister would be from the Dalit community.

Channi, who is learnt to have got strong backing from the state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for the post, met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday evening and staked claim to form the government. Speaking to reporters after meeting the Governor, Channi said in the wake of the decision taken unanimously by CLP here on Saturday, they went to stake claim to form the government.