Rajasthan agriculture minister Kirodi Lal Meena resigned on Wednesday, about a month after the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the state’s Dausa Lok Sabha seat, reported The Indian Express.
Meena, who was absent from a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal on July 2, told a news channel that he has “no moral right” to hold the position.
During the Lok Sabha polls, Meena had publicly said that he would quit the state government if the BJP lost any of the seven parliamentary constituencies where he was responsible for campaigning, reported PTI.
His resignation has not yet been accepted.
The BJP leader dismissed speculation that he resigned out of dissatisfaction with the government and his party. Meena said that he was told, in a recent meeting with the chief minister, that his resignation would not be accepted.
“But I told the CM that since I had spoken amidst the people and announced that I will resign if we don’t win this seat, I had to resign,” Meena said. “It is natural that I cannot sit in a government bungalow, government car or office.”
Congress’ Murari Lal Meena won the Dausa seat in the Lok Sabha elections, defeating BJP’s Kanhaiya Lal Meena by over 2.3 lakh votes.
The Hindutva party won 14 of 25 seats it contested in Rajasthan in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2019, the party and its allies had won all the seats in the state.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!