Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu on Friday (July 24, 2026) resigned from the Union Council of Ministers amid indications that he will play a key role in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s organisational activities ahead of the Assembly election in Punjab next year.

“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 press communique said.

Mr. Bittu’s Rajya Sabha term expired on June 21, 2026. Another Union Minister, George Kurian, had also resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on June 23, 2026, after his Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21. He was not renominated to the Upper House.

Mr. Bittu, a three-time Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, had recently hinted that he would be moving to Punjab to take an active role in State politics.

According to party sources, he may contest the upcoming Assembly election from the Ludhiana (Central) Assembly constituency. Mr. Bittu’s move to Punjab is being seen as part of the BJP’s continued efforts to consolidate its organisational base and strengthen the party’s grassroots presence in the State in the run-up to the 2027 polls.

Before entering the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Bittu had represented Anandpur Sahib once and Ludhiana twice in the Lok Sabha.