Rajasthan Minister Loses Election To Congress Candidate In Karanpur, BJP's Move To Include Surendra In Bhajan Lal Cabinet Fails

Even after becoming a minister in Rajasthan, Surendra Pal Singh 'TT' failed to win elections for the Karanpur Assembly seat. He faced defeat against Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Kooner, who secured victory with a margin of 12,570 votes in Monday's (8 January) counting.

It's worth noting that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma appointed Surendra Pal Singh as a cabinet minister just a few days ago and alloted him four ministries. The Congress criticised this move, calling it a violation of the code of conduct by the BJP, Navbharat Times reported.

Meanwhile, it is believed that Congress candidate Rupinder Singh received sympathy votes for the death of his father and sitting MLA Gurmeet Singh Kooner, leading to the conduct of elections on 199 of the 200 seats in the Rajasthan assembly.

There were 11 candidates in the electoral field. A total of 13 candidates had filed nominations for the Karanpur Assembly seat but one nomination was rejected, while one was withdrawn. Therefore, 11 candidates were left in the electoral arena.

For the first time in Rajasthan's history, the BJP appointed a candidate as a minister before contesting elections. On 5 January, BJP expanded its cabinet, appointing Karanpur BJP candidate Surendra Pal Singh 'TT' as the State Minister with Independent Charge.

He was given four departments, including Agriculture Marketing, Agriculture Commodity Department, Irrigation Department, and the Indira Gandhi Canal, Minority Affairs, and Waqf Board.