L Murugan offers to resign, sparks Union Cabinet reshuffle buzz

Union Minister L Murugan resigns

NEW DELHI: Union minister L Murugan on Tuesday offered to resign from the Cabinet and Rajya Sabha, saying he wanted to return to politics in his home state, Tamil Nadu, after being part of govt for over five years.

This rekindled the buzz that PM Modi could be preparing to reshuffle his council of ministers amid a steady exit of its members and some being in the queue.Murugan has three and a half years left of his RS term, and his exit will allow BJP to pick a new face from Madhya Pradesh, where he was elected from in 2024.In his five-page letter, Murugan expressed gratitude to the PM for all the opportunities he got and his govt's work for Tamil Nadu.

He said, "I therefore request you to relieve me of my responsibilities as Minister of State and permit me to relinquish my membership of the Rajya Sabha so that I may dedicate myself full-time to strengthening the party in Tamil Nadu."What stoked curiosity in political circles is that he chose to post the letter offering his resignation on social media, apparently with the consent of the BJP leadership. This suggested a clear signal from the party brass, leaving many within the governing alliance wondering if it was a prelude to more resignations.

Rajya Sabha vacancy may open up possibilities for PuriL Murugan's exit comes on heels of BJP not renominating ministers Hardeep Puri and B L Verma for another term in RS. Ravneet Bittu and George Kurian have already resigned earlier under similar circumstances.Two other ministers, Pankaj Chaudhary and Harsh Malhotra, have been made chiefs of BJP units in UP and Delhi, making their departure only a matter of time.Interestingly, an imminent RS vacancy from MP opens up the possibility for Puri, the lone Sikh face in the govt, to return to Rajya Sabha.Murugan has been BJP chief in Tamil Nadu, the last one among big states where BJP remains on the margins of electoral politics, and it was given a jolt when K Annamalai, who enjoyed a decent following, quit in June 2026.