BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Resigns as Union Minority Affairs Minister

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

(File Photo: IANS)

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigned as Union Minister of Minority Affairs on Wednesday, 6 July.

This comes amid speculation that he may contest the upcoming vice-presidential election, which is scheduled to be held on 6 August.

Naqvi's resignation comes after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

RCP Singh of the Janata Dal (United) also resigned as the Union Steel Minister on Wednesday.

The resignations of both Singh and Naqvi come a day ahead of the expiration of their tenures as Rajya Sabha MPs.

Naqvi was the lone Muslim face in PM Modi's Cabinet after the BJP won the general elections in 2019. He also held the minority affairs portfolio during Modi's first term as PM from July 2016 onwards. Before that, he was the Minister of State for Minority Affairs.

The leader also served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government from 1998-99 after the former was elected to Lok Sabha in 1998.

In addition to being a Rajya Sabha MP, Naqvi was also the deputy leader of the Upper House of Parliament.