NEW DELHI: After being excluded from the list of nominees for the upcoming biennial election to Rajya Sabha, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi may soon find himself donning the robe of BJP candidate in a Lok Sabha by-election. A reliable source in the saffron party hinted that Naqvi, who is completing his third term in Rajya Sabha, may be fielded in the minority-dominated Rampur LS seat in UP in the upcoming bypoll. The Rampur LS seat has been vacated by Azam Khan and the bypoll on this seat is scheduled on June 23.
“This seat is dominated by minority voters and it carries a lot of political significance for the BJP. Seeing Naqvi’s political stature and loyalty, the party may field him from this seat,” the BJP source said. Naqvi, the lone Muslim face in the Modi cabinet, belongs to Rampur. Meanwhile, sources said that Naqvi will continue in the minister post till he is elected either from Rampur LS seat in the bypoll or other.
As per constitutional provisions, even without being an MP, he can remain minister for the next six months. “Naqvi will be rewarded for his loyalty and nationalism. Wait for few days,” remarked a senior leader. Earlier, Naqvi had fought LS elections from Rampur seat and won once and lost two times. At present, he is Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand.
Observers said exclusion of Naqvi from the Rajya Sabha list has given a bad impression among the Muslim community ahead of six states going to polls by the end of this year or in the next year.