Om Prakash Soni took oath as one of the two deputy chief ministers of Punjab on Monday. A veteran Congress leader, Soni represents the Amritsar Central Constituency in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and was also the cabinet minister in the heading the school education department.
Soni has been active in Punjab politics for more than two decades now. He was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and again in 2017.
The Congress leader was the first mayor of Amritsar in May, 1991. He has also served as the General Secretary Punjab Public Congress Committee and the chairman of All India Council of Mayors for two years.
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Soni was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee in addition to being the Chairman of the Committee on Local Bodies and the Committee on Public Undertaking of Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2017-2018).
Soni served as the cabinet minister for medical education and research department, freedom fighters and food processing department in the Amarinder Singh government.
Soni became one of the deputy chief ministers of Punjab on Monday. He shares the portfolio with Dera Baba Nanak MLA and Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who was earlier a contender for the chief minister position.
It was reported that Randhawa’s name was appointed by the observers of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for the chief minister’s post after feedback from MLAs. However, Channi was announced as Captain Amarinder Singh’s successor on Twitter by AICC general secretary Harish Rawat.
Randhawa comes from a Congress family and has been among the most vocal critics of Captain Amarinder Singh,
Meanwhile, Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday took oath as the 16th chief minister of Punjab succeeding Captain Amarinder Singh. With this appointment, Channi becomes the first Sikh-Dalit face to represent Punjab.
His appointment has been hailed by the opposition Aam Aadmi Party while Badals have not yet issued a statement on it.
