Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu Resigns Ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections

CHANDIGARH: Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu resigned from his post after his tenure as a Rajya Sabha member ended in June. His resignation has been accepted, and he is set to focus on the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. It is learnt that, on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu accepted Bittu's resignation with immediate effect. Bittu was a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan and was not re-nominated to the Upper House. He had been a member of the Union Council of Ministers since 2024 and is likely to focus on the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, which are less than six months away. "The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of Shri Ravneet Singh from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India," a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said. While no official reason has been cited for his exit, the move comes amid growing speculation over his possible return to active state politics ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls. Sources said Bittu has been relieved of his ministerial duties and is likely to be assigned a party role for the 2027 Punjab elections. They said electoral considerations weighed on the BJP and Prime Minister Modi's decision regarding Bittu's case. He hails from a prominent Punjab family and has considerable parliamentary experience in the state. Confirming that he had submitted his resignation, Bittu said he had already put in his papers when his Rajya Sabha tenure ended. "I have already expressed my willingness about a couple of months back and had requested that I want to resign from my post. When PM came to Jalandhar recently, then again I had requested him the same and also in the ongoing Parliament session I had not gone, as I have been focusing on Punjab," he said. Bittu added, "Today also I was in Punjab touring various places." He said he would work across the state for the forthcoming Assembly polls, adding that he had represented two Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab, covering 18 Assembly segments, and had also contested Assembly elections from Jalalabad and Jalandhar Cantonment. "Whatever the party gives me the duty to perform I will do accordingly," he said.