Charanjit Singh Channi, who replaced Captain Amarinder Singh as Punjab chief minister on Sunday, has grabbed headlines in the past as well, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Ever since his appointment as Punjab technical education minister 18 months ago, the 48-year-old Channi has been the centre of many controversies. A woman IAS officer accused Channi of sending her “inappropriate” text messages, and his name also cropped up in allegations of illegal mining in the state’s SBS Nagar district. The three-time MLA from Chamkaur Sahib Assembly Constituency also raised a political storm when he illegally constructed a road from a park outside his official residence in Sector 2, Chandigarh. This was because an astrologer had advised him to have an east-facing entry to his house for political gains, according to a Hindustan Times report. The road was razed by the administration within hours.

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Channi reportedly followed his astrologer’s advice again when he was seen riding an elephant in the lawns of his house in Kharar, in a picture that went viral on social media.

Also read: Who is Charanjit Singh Channi?

In February, the Punjab government had to issue a clarification on Channi’s act to use a coin toss for the right candidate for the post of a lecturer in a polytechnic institute. A video clip of the incident also went viral on social media, prompting a government spokesperson to clarify that Channi was only trying to allot the posts in a “transparent” manner.

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Panjab University authorities allegedly relaxed norms after Channi failed an entrance test to pursue PhD on the Indian National Congress.

He was also accused of recommending the transfer of an IAS officer due to personal reasons.

Channi started his political journey as a president of the Kharar municipal council in 2002. Channi has also been at loggerheads with his own government over its alleged indifference towards Dalits.

The months-long power tussle between state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Captain Amarinder Singh ended with the latter’s resignation as chief minister on Saturday.