In a major setback to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party candidate Surendra Pal Singh, who was recently inducted into the Rajasthan ministry, has lost the Karanpur assembly seat in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district to Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Koonar by over 12,000 votes.
With this win, the Congress’ tally in the Rajasthan Assembly went up to 70 from 69, while the BJP has 115 seats with it.
Congratulating Koonar, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the win is dedicated to the public works of the deceased Congress leader Gurmeet Singh Koonar, whose sudden death led to the postponement of election in the Assembly seat.
“The people of Karanpur have defeated the pride of the BJP. The public has taught a lesson to the BJP, which flouted the model code of conduct (MCC) and morality by making its candidate a minister during the elections,” Gehlot wrote.
Counting of votes for the Karanpur assembly seat took place at Dr Bheemrao Ambedkar Government College in Sriganganagar, the district under which the constituency comes and began at 8 AM on Monday. Election to the Assembly seat was postponed following the death of Congress candidate and then MLA Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
Surendra Pal Singh was the BJP candidate, while Congress had fielded Koonar’s son, Rupinder Singh, from the seat.
Polling took place in the constituency took place on Friday and a voter turnout of 81.38 per cent was recorded.
Singh was inducted into the Rajasthan ministry after the BJP won the elections, that was held on November 25.
The Congress has criticised the BJP leader’s induction in the ministry saying that it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). According to the rules, Singh has six months to get elected as an MLA since his induction as a minister.
Singh has been inducted as a Minister of State (independent charge) and handed over four portfolios, including Indira Gandhi Nahar as well as the Department of Minority Affairs and Waqf.