Rajasthan Minority Affairs Minister Surenderpal Singh Resigns Following Defeat In Karanpur Bypoll

Rajasthan Minority Affairs Minister Surenderpal Singh submitted his resignation on Tuesday, a consequential move following his defeat in the Karanpur bypoll against Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Kooner. 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 his decision to step down.

Surenderpal Singh had taken the oath as Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge on December 30, 2023. Shortly afterward, on January 5, he was assigned key portfolios, including the minority and waqf department, agricultural marketing department, Indira Gandhi Nahar, and irrigation development. However, the Congress raised objections, alleging a violation of the code of conduct, as Singh assumed ministerial duties while still being a candidate for the Karanpur bypoll.

Before his recent ministerial role, Surenderpal Singh had previously 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 takes place in the backdrop of the new Rajasthan government formed after the BJP secured a 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.