Minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi resigned on Wednesday, a day ahead of the expiry of his Rajya Sabha term.

The resignation of the lone Muslim face in the Narendra Modi government fuelled speculation that he could run for Vice-President as the NDA nominee. The election is scheduled for August 6.

Steel minister R.C.P. Singh, whose Rajya Sabha term too ends on Thursday, also resigned on Wednesday. Singh’s party Janata Dal United, a BJP ally, had denied him a fresh Rajya Sabha term.

A minister ceases to be so after his term as a member of Parliament ends. Such a person can be reappointed as minister, in which case he or she has to take a fresh oath and become a member of either House of Parliament within six months.

Both Naqvi, 64, and the BJP were tight-lipped about his fate. Party chief J.P. Nadda had sidestepped a direct reply recently after being asked why Naqvi had been denied a fresh Rajya Sabha term.

Naqvi hails from Rampur, the Muslim-dominated Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha seat the BJP won in a recent by-election.

The Modi government has been at the receiving end of a recent blowback from Gulf countries over a now-axed BJP spokesperson’s derogatory comments on Prophet Mohammed.

However, given the way in which the current party leadership likes to spring surprises, people close to Naqvi kept their fingers crossed. “We have no idea. Naqviji is not telling us anything, either. Maybe he too doesn’t know,” a BJP leader close to Naqvi said.

According to party insiders, Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan is another strong contender for the VP post. “Maybe Naqvi will be made Kerala governor and Arif Mohammad Vice-President,” a BJP leader said.

Smriti Irani has been given additional charge of the minority affairs ministry and Jyotiraditya Scindia that of the steel ministry.