Overview
- President Droupadi Murmu accepted Bittu’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, July 24, 2026.
- Bittu stepped down as Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries after his Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21 and the BJP did not renominate him to the Upper House.
- Bittu told reporters he resigned at the direction of the party high command and will focus on strengthening the BJP in Punjab, a move party sources say will include a larger organisational role.
- Multiple outlets report he is likely to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with Ludhiana frequently named as a probable constituency, but those plans are reported as likely rather than formally confirmed.
- Bittu’s return to state politics draws on his profile as a three‑time former Congress MP who joined the BJP in 2024 and is intended to give the party a prominent Sikh and Jat face as it prepares to contest Punjab independently.