New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Steel Minister R C P Singh, cabinet colleagues of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had submitted their resignations, a day before the completion of their Rajya Sabha term, sources said.
Earlier in the day, Modi had lauded both Naqvi and Singh during the cabinet meeting for their contribution to the country during their tenure, in an apparent suggestion of it being their final cabinet meeting, sources added. Naqvi, a senior BJP leader, is also the deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha. Singh is a minister in the Modi Cabinet from JD(U) quota.
With their term as Rajya Sabha MPs set to end on Thursday, both ministers submitted their resignations to fulfil the constitutional obligation as they will cease to be parliamentarians from Friday. According to the sources, this is the first time that a sitting minister has been out of both Houses of Parliament.
There is a precedent that both may continue as a minister for another six months before they get re-elected to either house but in this case, they will have to take the oath of office of Minister again. Recently, several BJP leaders were elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
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The saffron party did not give a Rajya Sabha ticket to Naqvi. Singh, who comes from an ally party in Bihar, JD(U), had sworn in as a minister in the Modi government a year ago on July 7, 2021. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar did not accommodate Singh when the vacancy arose for the State in the Rajya Sabha.
A Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant from Tripura after the resignation of Manik Saha who has recently elected to the Tripura Assembly. Besides this, there is no Rajya Sabha seat which is going to be vacant in the next few months. (with Agency inputs)
