On Monday, the BJP leader Surendra Pal Singh TT, who took oath as the minister before winning the polls, later lost to the Congress’s Rupinder Singh Kooner by 11,283 votes in Karanpur, Rajasthan.
According to the report of the chief electoral officer, Kooner has bagged 90,098 votes, while Pal has got 80,379 votes. Only one round left, after which the winning candidate will be declared.
How did the BJP lose to Congress in Assembly Polls?
After ten days of celebrating victory, the BJP’s Surendra Pal Singh TT lost the election for the Karanpur seat to Rupinder Singh Kooner. Last month, during the election campaign, voting was postponed due to the death of his father and Congress MLA, Gurmeet Singh Kooner in November. Following this, the Congress cited the name of Kooner’s son Rupinder from this seat.
However, BJP’s Surendra Pal’s position as a Minister of State (MoS), and called it on the violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). They even accused the BJP of trying to influence the poll’s verdict in favour of Pal as a minister and complained to the Election Commission.
BJP’s ‘questionable’ elevation of Pal as Minister
The Congress demanded the disqualification of Pal from contesting in the polls, as he breached Clause 32 of the MCC. Afterwards, the BJP leader claimed that the ministerial position of Pal as Minister of State (MoS) was under the norms of the constitution. They even argued that the oath taken by Pal did not violate the MCC as several ministers have contested in polls holding the ministerial position earlier.
Reactions to the Incident
The BJP’s strategy of making Pal before he became an MLA was rejected by the public, after which Pal gave his resignation. Besides, the party leader claim the Congress candidate won due to ‘sympathy’.
The Congress President of the state, Govind Singh Dostara said, “The result showed that a govt can make someone a minister, but not an MLA, for which you need the support of the people…The Election Commission also didn’t take any action. But the people gave their reply”. The former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot along with senior leader Sachin Pilot stated that the people had taught the BJP a lesson. He said, “The people of Karanpur have defeated the pride of BJP. The public has taught a lesson to the BJP, which flouted the code of conduct and morality by making its candidate a minister during the elections”.
Possible Outcomes
Singh’s ministerial appointment ignited a public firestorm, claiming it an undemocratic move, granting him an unfair edge. This will not only result in election loss but also a failure in building an image in public. Regardless outcome, the controversy fumes concern over potential power abuse, voter disrespect and leaving complexity to unravel.
