In a long-anticipated move, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu put in his papers today with President Droupadi Murmu accepting his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers.Bittu’s resignation was evident after the BJP denied him a re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha in the last election held to the Upper House on June 18.The re-nomination was denied to two ministers–Bittu and MoS (Fisheries) George Kurian.While Kurian resigned as minister on June 23 after his Rajya Sabha term ended on June 21, Bittu resigned today even though his Upper House term had expired alongside Kurian’s.Today’s development opens doors for a fresh ministerial induction from poll-bound Punjab. Bittu is expected to fight from a Ludhiana constituency in the coming Assembly polls due in early 2027. As a Congressman, he had represented Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha twice, in 2014 and 2019, and Anandpur Sahib in 2009.He switched to the BJP, fought from Ludhiana again in 2024, and lost. Soon after, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan and given the portfolio of junior minister in the Ministry of Railways.After putting in the papers, Bittu said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu Ji and Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”