Rajasthan Minister Suffers Embarrassing Defeat, Resigns After Election Loss

Rajasthan Minister of State Surendra Pal Singh, who was appointed just days before the election, lost the Karanpur assembly seat to Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Koonar by a significant margin. Following his defeat, Singh submitted his resignation, which was accepted by the Governor.

In a significant turn of events, Rajasthan Minister of State Surendra Pal Singh faced defeat in the Karanpur assembly seat by a considerable margin of 11,283 votes against his Congress rival. This outcome marks a major setback for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had recently formed the government in the state.

Embarrassing Defeat for BJP

Singh's loss in the Karanpur constituency comes as a blow to the BJP, particularly after the party's recent victory in the state assembly elections. The minister's defeat is seen as an embarrassment for the party, as he had been inducted into the Bhajanlal Sharma ministry just days before the polling.

Singh's Resignation

Following his defeat, Singh promptly resigned from his position as Minister of State Independent charge. The resignation letter was forwarded by Chief Minister Sharma and accepted by the Governor with immediate effect, as confirmed by a Raj Bhavan spokesperson.

Previous Defeat in Karanpur

This is not the first time Singh has faced defeat in the Karanpur constituency. In the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections, he was defeated by Rupinder Singh Koonar's father, Gurmeet Singh. The election for the Karanpur seat was postponed in the previous year due to Gurmeet Singh's unfortunate demise, leading to the Congress fielding his son as the candidate.

Congress Victory and Reactions

Rupinder Singh Koonar, the victorious Congress candidate, expressed gratitude to the people of Karanpur for their support. He highlighted that even though central ministers had campaigned for Singh, the people rejected them and upheld democracy. Congress leaders were quick to congratulate Koonar, with former chief minister Ashok Gehlot praising the people of Karanpur for defeating the BJP's pride.

Public's Response to BJP's Actions

Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra took to social media to express his views on the outcome. He stated that the public had taught a lesson to the BJP for flouting the code of conduct and morality by appointing Singh as a minister during the elections. Dotasra emphasized that when constitutional institutions forget their responsibilities, justice prevails in the public court.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also commented on the victory, highlighting that the people of Karanpur had broken the arrogance of the BJP. He emphasized that even if the party appoints someone as a minister, it is ultimately the people who decide who represents them.

Increased Congress Presence in Assembly

With Koonar's victory, the number of Congress MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly has risen to 70. The BJP had previously won 115 of the 199 seats that went to polls in November 2022. Bhajanlal Sharma, a first-time MLA, was sworn in as the chief minister on December 15.