New Delhi: Union Minister of State L Murugan on Tuesday resigned from the Modi government and said he wanted to return to Tamil Nadu to strengthen the BJP in the state, raising speculation about an imminent reshuffle in the Council of Ministers.
This was the third resignation of a Minister of State (MoS) from the Council of Ministers after George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu, who quit in June and July respectively after they were not renominated for Rajya Sabha elections by the BJP.
Murugan has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since September 2021 and was re-elected to the Upper House in April 2024 from Madhya Pradesh. His tenure ends in April 2030. The minister said he wants to give up his Rajya Sabha membership.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was also not renominated by the BJP in the just-concluded Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh. However, he continues to be a member of the Union Cabinet.
Similarly, MoS in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, BL Verma, was also not renominated for the polls to the Upper House. He too continues to be in office.
Two other MoS, Pankaj Chaudhary and Harsh Malhotra, who were made chief of BJP’s Uttar Pradesh and Delhi units respectively in recent months, continue to discharge both the responsibilities.
“I requested our Prime Minister to relieve me from the Council of Ministers and the Rajya Sabha because I want to go to Tamil Nadu to strengthen our party.
“In my letter to the Prime Minister, I stated that I want to strengthen our party by going to villages, streets and everywhere else, and prepare the ground for the 2029 parliamentary elections,” Murugan said.
