Rajya Sabha terms over, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh quit

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, July 6

With their Rajya Sabha terms ending on Thursday, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Steel Minister RCP Singh today resigned from the Union council of ministers.

Like Naqvi, Singh, a leader of NDA ally JD(U), did not get a re-nomination to the House for another term from his party.

Naqvi, who resigned after meeting BJP president JP Nadda, said he was following “constitutional requirements”. Incidentally, he was the only Muslim face in the Narendra Modi government.

In a Cabinet meeting earlier, PM Modi lauded Naqvi and Singh for their contribution to the country, sources said. Ahead of the recent bypolls, there was a strong buzz that Naqvi may be fielded from Rampur in UP. The BJP, however, chose Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi from the stronghold of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

Now, with vice-presidential elections round the corner, there are speculations that Naqvi may be the NDA’s candidate for the job, or may be appointed a Governor, though the BJP is silent about his future. However, rumours are also floating about Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan being the NDA’s pick for the post. With Naqvi’s Rajya Sabha term ending, the BJP will have no Muslim MP in the two Houses of Parliament after a very long time.

Naqvi was among the three BJP Muslim MPs whose term ended during the recent round of polls to 57 seats in the Rajya Sabha, with former Union Minister MJ Akbar and Syed Zafar Islam being the other two.

With Naqvi quitting as a minister, it will also be one of the rare occasions when the Union council of ministers will not have a Muslim face, thereby giving the Opposition yet another chance to accuse the BJP of not giving adequate representation to the minority community.

After long, No Muslim BJP MP in LS, RS

• Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was the only Muslim face in the Modi government
• Now, BJP will have no Muslim MP in the two Houses after a very long time
• It will also be a rare occasion when there will be no Muslim minister at the Centre