The resignation of the senior leader from the Uttar Pradesh seat was accepted by the Rajya Sabha chairman with effect from November 14.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hardeep Singh Puri resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat representing Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, according to a Times of India report. The Rajya Sabha chairman has accepted the resignation of the former Indian Foreign Service officer with effect from November 14, 2026.
Puri was recently elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh last week. The by-election for the Madhya Pradesh seat was necessitated by the resignation of former Union Minister of State L Murugan on October 14.
During the scrutiny of nomination papers for the Madhya Pradesh by-election, the Returning Officer rejected the nominations of independent candidates Rajkumar Lohani and Kante Sayanna. Lohani failed to submit the mandatory Form 26 affidavit, while Sayanna did not obtain the prescribed number of proposers.
The Congress had raised objections to Puri's nomination by questioning aspects of his submitted documents, but the Returning Officer rejected these objections after an examination.
Puri, 74, has served as the Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister since 2021. He previously held the position of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs and served as India's permanent representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013.
