New Delhi: In a setback to the BJP, Surender Pal Singh T.T., a minister in the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan, on Monday (January 8) lost the by-poll in Sriganganagar’s Karanpur constituency by 11,283 votes to the Congress’s Rupinder Singh Kooner.
Several news outlets have expressed surprise. Amar Ujala has described it as ‘BJP ko bada jhatka’ (big setback for the BJP), with Naidunia terming it a “chaunkaa dene waala faisla” (a ‘stunning result’).
Dainik Jagran writes that the BJP has suffered as a crucial gambit (of appointing a candidate as minister before his election) failed as T.T. lost in the ‘chunaavi dangal’ (‘electoral battlefield’).
The Hindustan Times reports that T.T. had taken oath as a minister of state (independent charge) in the cabinet of the new chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government on December 30, “sparking a controversy as the Congress termed his oath as a violation of the model code of conduct.”
The election in this particular seat was delayed and held on January 5 due to the death of the Congress candidate and then-MLA, Gurmeet Singh Kooner, in November, ten days before polling day.
The Congress fielded Kooner’s son Rupinder from the seat and the BJP put up T.T., who has represented this seat two times in the past.
The freshly-chosen MLA Rupinder Singh Kooner said: “It was not my election but my father’s. I am thankful to the people that they kept their faith in my father’s 40 years of service despite all the political pressure.”
Referring to T.T.’s controversial oath-taking as a minister while still being a candidate for the seat, he said: “India is a democratic country and they replied to the BJP. Their masterstroke has failed drastically.”
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, “Karanpur’s people have defeated the BJP’s arrogance. Their party turned the by-poll into a joke where the candidate could be appointed as a minister without being elected.”
T.T. held the portfolios of the minority and waqf department, the agricultural marketing department and the Indira Gandhi Nahar (Canal) department. In the past, T.T. had also served as a minister in the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.
Responding to his defeat in the Karanpur by-poll, BJP state president C.P. Joshi said, “The party will review the reasons for TT’s loss in the by-poll.”
Chief minister Sharma said T.T. had “happily accepted the mandate and resigned from his post of minister”.
Congress state chief Govind Singh Dotasra said, “The result showed that a government can make someone a minister, but not an MLA, for which you need the support of the people. The public has rejected the unconstitutional move taken by the BJP ahead of the poll.
“The Election Commission also didn’t take any action in the matter. But the people gave their reply.”
The Congress had also lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission on December 31 following T.T.’s oath, urging the poll body to disqualify him from contesting the Karanpur bypoll.
The commission did not take action on this matter.
The Hindu reports that Karanpur recorded a whopping voter turnout of 81.38%.
A total of 12 candidates contested the Karanpur seat, with a total of 54,238 votes being cast.
Rupinder Singh Kooner received 94,950 votes and T.T. got 83,667.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, National Janmandal Party and six independent candidates also contested the seat, but among these, only the AAP’s candidate Prithipal Singh managed to cross 10,000 votes.
