Karanpur poll: setback for BJP as Rajasthan minister loses against Congress rival 

BJP candidate Surender Pal Singh, who was recently appointed as the Cabinet minister in Rajasthan, lost the election for the Karanpur assembly seat against Congress leader Rupinder Singh on Monday. The minister lost by a margin of 11,283 votes.

Singh was inducted into the cabinet on December 30 despite not contesting in the recently concluded assembly polls.

The election of this seat was postponed after the death of Congress candidate and former MLA Gurmeet Singh Koonar. Congress fielded Koonar’s son, Rupinder Singh, for the seat.

Under the rules, he has to get elected as an MLA within six months of his appointment as a minister.

According to the chief electoral office, Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Koonar won 94,950 votes as against Singh’s 83,667. There were 18 rounds of counting.

This is the second time Singh has faced defeat in Karanpur constituency. He was defeated by Koonar’s father Gurmeet Singh in the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections.

“I am thankful to the people of Karanpur who voted for me… even central ministers had come for campaigning (but) people rejected them and made democracy win,” Koonar told reporters after winning the election.

Congress leaders congratulated Koonar even before the final results came in.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the people of Karanpur have defeated the pride of the BJP.

“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Congress candidate Shri Rupinder Singh Koonar for his victory in Srikaranpur. This victory is dedicated to the public service works done by the late Gurmeet Singh Koonar,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)