In a huge embarrassment to the BJP, one of its newly inducted ministers in the Rajasthan government, Surender Pal Singh TT, on Monday lost the assembly elections to Rupinder Singh Kooner at Sriganganagar’s Karanpur assembly seat.
The election in the Karanpur assembly seat was postponed following the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Kooner. But the BJP did not wait for the election here and appointed Surender Pal Singh TT as a cabinet minister after the Hindutva party won the assembly elections in Rajastahn in December last year.
Reacting to Kooner’s victory, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the people of Karanpur had defeated the ‘arrogance of BJP.’ “People have taught the BJP a lesson for making the mockery of the election code of conduct by appointing its candidate a minister,” Gehlot said.
Gehlot was later quoted as saying by ANI, “…This election has given several messages…The arrogance of BJP and the manner in which they have abandoned morality…it is like a slap by the people to BJP…I had said earlier that we will register a grand victory…People have understood that we have not weakened even after the formation of government (of BJP in the state). This will benefit us even in Parliament elections.”