Shock for BJP in Rajasthan, Congress Defeats State Min in Bypoll

Jaipur: In a shock for the BJP, Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Kooner defeated the ruling party’s Surenderpal Singh in the byelection held for Rajasthan’s Karanpur assembly constituency.

Singh was made a minister in the newly formed Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government in Rajasthan. The opposition Congress had accused the BJP of violating poll ethics by making Singh a minister even before the polls were held.

Reacting to the Congress candidate’s bypoll victory, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, “The people of Karanpur have defeated the arrogance of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The public has taught a lesson to the BJP, which tried to undermine the code of conduct and ethics by making the candidate a minister amidst the elections.”

Elections to the Karanpur assembly constituency in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district were deferred following the death of the death of then Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Kooner.

The Congress chose his son Rupinder to fight against the BJP minister in the byelection.

With this victory, the Congress now has 70 MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly, while the BJP has 115.