Rajasthan :- In the aftermath of his defeat in the Karanpur bypoll against Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Kooner, Rajasthan Minority Affairs Minister Surenderpal Singh tendered his resignation on Tuesday. Despite being the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the bypoll, Singh had been inducted into the Rajasthan cabinet. His electoral setback by over 11,000 votes prompted the consequential decision to step down.
Surenderpal Singh assumed office as Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge on December 30, 2023. However, his ministerial role was marked by controversy when, on January 5, he was assigned key portfolios, including the minority and waqf department, agricultural marketing department, Indira Gandhi Nahar, and irrigation development. The Congress raised objections, citing a violation of the code of conduct, as Singh took on ministerial responsibilities while still being a candidate for the Karanpur bypoll.
Prior to his recent ministerial role, Surenderpal Singh had served as a minister in the BJP-led government under former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in 2003 and 2018. In 2003, he oversaw the agriculture department, and in 2018, he held the petroleum department. The context of Singh’s resignation unfolds against the backdrop of the new Rajasthan government formed after the BJP’s substantial victory in the state Assembly elections held in November 2023.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who assumed office on December 15, 2023, along with deputies Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, now faces the task of addressing the vacancy left by Singh’s resignation. This political development adds to the dynamics of the state’s political landscape and the ongoing adjustments within the newly formed government.
