Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on Friday. President Droupadi Murmu accepted his resignation with immediate effect. Rashtrapati Bhavan announced the decision through an official press communique.

The communique stated that the President accepted Bittu's resignation on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India. The resignation came after Bittu's Rajya Sabha tenure ended on June 21. He had represented Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha from August 2024 to June 2026. He entered the Upper House after receiving a nomination to complete the remaining term of a seat vacated by Congress leader KC Venugopal.

Bittu had served as a Minister of State in the Union Council of Ministers since 2024. With his ministerial tenure ending, he is now expected to concentrate on the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for next year. The BJP has already started preparing its strategy for the state, making Punjab an important political focus.

Soon after his resignation received approval, Bittu thanked President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him the opportunity to serve in the Union government. He shared his message through a post on X.

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to Hon'ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji and Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation as Minister of State in the Government of India. It has been an honour to serve the people of India, especially my beloved Punjab. I remain committed to the ideals of service, nationalism, and the vision of a Viksit Bharat under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. My journey of public service continues with renewed dedication," Bittu said in a post on X.

His resignation comes at a time when the BJP is augmenting its preparations for the 2027 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. The party has decided not to form an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. Instead, it plans to contest the elections independently to expand its presence in the state.

The BJP leadership has also sharpened its political attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal. During his visit to Punjab earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the party and accused it of putting its own interests ahead of the people. He said the Shiromani Akali Dal served its own "selfish interests" and cared "nothing for the people of Punjab."

Ravneet Singh Bittu has a long political background. He is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Beant Singh. Before joining the BJP, Bittu served as a three-time Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from the Congress. He switched to the BJP in 2024 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, marking a major political shift in his career.

Bittu also contested the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections on a Congress ticket. He faced Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann in the contest. He lost the election to Badal and finished in third place, with Mann securing the second position.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bittu fought his first parliamentary election as a BJP candidate. He contested from Punjab but lost to Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Warring defeated him by a margin of 20,942 votes.

The BJP now hopes to improve its performance in Punjab after a disappointing result in the 2022 Assembly elections. The party won only two of the state's 117 Assembly seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party recorded a massive victory by securing 92 seats. The upcoming Assembly election has become a key political challenge for the BJP as it works to strengthen its organisation and expand its voter base in Punjab.

Bittu's resignation marks an important political development ahead of the state elections. His exit from the Union Council of Ministers is likely to give him more time to focus on the BJP's campaign and organisational efforts in Punjab. The party appears to be restructuring its strategy as it prepares for a direct contest in the state without its former ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal.