Voting commenced at 7 am on Friday for the Karanpur Assembly seat in Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district. Surendra Pal Singh TT, the BJP nominee, has already been sworn in as a minister in the newly-formed state cabinet, as confirmed by District Collector Anshdeep. The polling will continue until 6 pm. The election and voting, initially scheduled earlier, was postponed following the unfortunate demise of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
Twelve candidates are competing for the Assembly seat, with Rupinder Singh, the son of late Gurmeet Singh Koonar, contesting on the Congress ticket. Surendra Pal Singh TT, a former state minister, was included in the cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on December 30. This move faced opposition from the Congress, claiming a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticized Surendra Pal Singh TT’s swearing-in, considering it a clear violation and an attempt to influence voting in the constituency. According to regulations, non-legislators can be appointed as ministers, but they must win elections within six months.
The election results for the Karanpur Assembly seat are slated to be declared on January 8, as confirmed by the district collector. In the constituency, a total of 249 polling stations have been set up to cater to 2.4 lakh voters, including 1,25,850 men, 1,14,966 women, and 10 transgender individuals. Additionally, there are 180 service voters.
The polling for 199 out of the 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan occurred on November 25 last year. In the results announced on December 8, the BJP emerged victorious with 115 seats, surpassing the Congress, which secured 69 seats. The election in Karanpur was deferred due to the unfortunate demise of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
Surendra Pal Singh TT’s inclusion in the newly-formed cabinet led to opposition from the Congress, led by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, on December 30. The Congress, particularly former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, criticized the move, considering it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. According to the regulations, non-legislators can be appointed as ministers, but they must win elections within six months.
The election results for the Karanpur Assembly seat are scheduled to be declared on January 8, with 249 polling stations set up in the constituency. This includes 2.4 lakh voters, comprising 1,25,850 men, 1,14,966 women, and 10 transgender individuals. Additionally, there are 180 service voters.
In the broader context, the polling for 199 out of the 200 Assembly seats in Rajasthan took place on November 25 last year. The BJP secured victory with 115 seats, while the Congress managed to secure 69 seats. The election in Karanpur was deferred due to the unfortunate demise of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.