New Delhi. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday resigned from his Rajya Sabha membership from Uttar Pradesh. Just a few days ago, he was elected unopposed to the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh. According to the Rajya Sabha bulletin, the Chairman has accepted his resignation, which will be effective from November 14, 2026.
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l. MP seat became vacant due to Murugan's resignation
The Madhya Pradesh seat from which Puri was elected unopposed was held by former Union Minister of State L. It became vacant after the resignation of Murugan (Former Union Minister of State L. Murugan). That means Puri will now represent Madhya Pradesh instead of Uttar Pradesh.
Puri's journey as a minister
Puri was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in September 2017. In May 2019, he was made the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Civil Aviation and also got the additional charge of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
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In July 2021, he was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister and took charge of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas along with Housing and Urban Affairs. In July 2024, he again took oath as a cabinet minister and is currently the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Long career as a diplomat
Before joining politics, Puri was a 1974 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. In a career spanning nearly 39 years, he held many important responsibilities in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. He was India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and New York. He also worked in the Indian missions in Tokyo and Colombo. Apart from this, he was the Deputy High Commissioner of Mission in Britain and India's Ambassador to Brazil.
Childhood spent with grandparents
Puri's father was also a diplomat and was posted in many countries. In the countries where he lived, there was no option for English medium education. For this reason, Puri lived with his grandparents and studied in boarding schools in India. These include Frank Anthony Public School of Delhi.