How Union MoS Ravneet Bittu fits in with BJP’s game plan for Punjab polls

While Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu’s Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21, the ruling BJP appears to be in no hurry to cut his ministerial tenure like it did with another MoS George Kurian, whose Upper House term also ended the same day. Both the BJP leaders were not renominated to the Rajya Sabha, but only Kurian was asked to resign.

While the constitutional provisions allow a Minister to continue for up to six months without being a member of either House of Parliament, some political developments over the past few weeks have fuelled speculation that the party may create a larger role for Bittu in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections slated for February 2027.

The first signal in this regard came on June 3 at the charge-taking ceremony of Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon in Chandigarh, where Bittu himself expressed his desire to return to state politics. “It has been 17 years in Delhi. I have been a member of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. Now I feel like coming to the Vidhan Sabha and working for Punjab,” he said.

He went further, telling party leaders: “Assign us the task, pack our bags and send us to Punjab, and we will go village to village, street to street and knock on every door for the betterment of Punjab.”

The timing of Bittu’s remarks has since assumed additional significance. On June 4, Bittu’s name did not figure in the BJP’s list of 11 candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections. Instead, the party nominated Punjab BJP leader and national general secretary Tarun Chugh from Madhya Pradesh. Chugh was elected unopposed on June 11.

For many within the Punjab BJP, that sequence strengthened the impression that the party may be preparing a dual role for Bittu — retaining him in the Union ministry while deploying him more extensively in Punjab.

ow Union MoS Ravneet Bittu fits in with BJP’s game plan for Punjab pollsOn social media too, Bittu continues to highlight various Railways ministry projects such as freight corridors, station redevelopment works and infrastructure expansion, while also flagging multiple state issues under the tagline “Punjab Always!”.

Bittu’s journey

Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister late Beant Singh, entered the Rajya Sabha through a bypoll from Rajasthan on June 22, 2024. He was elected unopposed and was later sworn in as the MoS for Railways and Food Processing Industries.

His elevation had followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public assurance during the 2024 Ludhiana Lok Sabha campaign that Bittu would be made a minister if the BJP-led NDA returned to power.

For the BJP, the arrangement seems to be politically significant. With Bittu continuing as a Sikh face in the Union ministry and Chugh entering the Rajya Sabha, the party can project its representation for both Sikh and Hindu communities from Punjab. It also comes at a time when the BJP is seeking to strengthen its organisational and political footprint in the state. Party leaders believe Bittu’s profile, political lineage and electoral experience give him a utility that extends beyond the issue of representation.

This has been evident since his switch from the Congress to the BJP in March 2024. Rahul Gandhi had then labelled him a “gaddar”, and the Congress campaign in Ludhiana repeatedly invoked the charge during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Although Bittu eventually lost the Ludhiana contest to Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring by more than 20,000 votes, BJP leaders maintain that his performance demonstrated significant political traction.

“Bittu had lost the Lok Sabha poll, but the BJP was on top in six out of nine Assembly segments despite a negative campaign around him. The party lagged in Dakha, Gill and Jagraon because it could not campaign fully in villages due to the farmers’ protest at that time,” said a BJP leader.

Another BJP leader said Bittu’s electoral record keeps multiple options open for the party. “It is up to the party to decide Bittu’s future role, but since he had won from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 and had also contested from there in 2024 as well, he can fight from any Assembly seat falling under the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency,” the leader said.

Hurdles ahead

At the same time, Bittu faces various challenges. Even during his stint in the Congress, he was often criticised by his opponents for being inaccessible as an MP. His supporters, however, argue that his personal style of engagement and ability to connect with voters continue to work in his favour.

He has also tried to build a development narrative through frequent visits to railway stations in Punjab undergoing revamp, highlighting the Centre’s railway and connectivity initiatives.

However, controversy continues to shadow him. On Wednesday, he appeared before the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission in connection with allegations that he used casteist remarks against police personnel during an altercation in Dhuri on May 26 when civic polls were underway. The Commission accepted his apology but announced religious punishment for him whereby he was asked to pay obeisance and do sewa at Harmander Sahib and Valmiki Ram Teerath temple in Amritsar, Dera Brahmanda in Phillaur, and Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar.