Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigns amid rumors of contesting in Vice Presidential election

NEW DELHI: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of BJP has resigned from the post of Union Minister amid rumors that he will contest for the post of Vice President. Naqvi's Rajya Sabha term ends tomorrow. BJP has not nominated Naqvi for the next term. Naqvi and Rajnath Singh are the only two Union Ministers who were in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and now in the Modi government.

This morning, Naqvi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda. The current Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's term ends on August 10. The last date to submit nominations for the Vice-Presidential election is July 19. Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan, former Union Minister Najma Heptulla and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are other prominent figures who might contest in the election.