New Delhi: The denial of a Rajya Sabha nomination to the BJP’s only minority face in the Union Cabinet, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, has raised many eyebrows in the party. While there is some speculation that he might be fielded in the Rampur Lok Sabha byelection, some in the party claim that he could be shifted to organisational work or be given a constitutional post.
There is also a buzz that Mr Naqvi may be nominated to the Upper House of Parliament as there are seven vacant seats.
Some insiders claimed that certain party leaders had been gunning for him and raised some questions about his interactions with the media. However, some others indicated that Mr Naqvi could continue to remain in the government for another six months, by when the party could take a final call on his role.
While the biennial polls to the Rajya Sabha are due to be held on June 10, the byelection to the Rampur Lok Sabha seat is due on June 23. The seat became vacant after SP leader Azam Khan decided to vacate it after he won an Assembly seat from the area during the recent UP elections.
Mr Naqvi had successfully contested from the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 1998 and had become a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government. However, the Muslim-dominated seat is now considered as a stronghold of Azam Khan, who was behind bars for almost 27 months for his involvement in cheating cases, and was released from jail earlier this month after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in a cheating case.
