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Chandigarh, Jul 24 (PTI): With President Droupadi Murmu accepting his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Friday said he will now shift his entire focus to poll-bound Punjab, where his party is looking forward to forming the government in 2027.

Bittu is likely to contest the 2027 Punjab assembly elections from Ludhiana.

President Murmu on Friday accepted the resignation of Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries. On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President accepted Bittu's resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect.

Bittu, a prominent Sikh face of the BJP, said he had tendered his resignation on June 21, when his Rajya Sabha term ended.

"I requested the PM saab during the Jalandhar rally and also on Monday that my resignation be accepted and sought his blessings," Bittu told PTI.

In June, Bittu had expressed desire to work in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, after spending nearly 17 years in Parliament. He had said that the BJP made him a minister though he lost the 2024 parliamentary elections.

On the 2027 Assembly polls, Bittu expressed confidence that the BJP would form the government in Punjab as people of the state are fed up with other political parties.

"People are very much aware of the development and progress taking place in other (BJP-ruled) states. They want prosperity in Punjab as well," he said.

Bittu expressed gratitude to President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi for giving him "the opportunity to serve the nation as a minister of state".

"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 Ji. My journey of public service continues with renewed dedication," Bittu said on X.

Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh who was assassinated in 1995, joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

He had been a Lok Sabha MP for three terms on Congress tickets; he was first elected an MP from Anandpur Sahib in 2009. Later, he was elected from Ludhiana twice, in 2014 and 2019.

After he joined the BJP, Bittu unsuccessfully contested from the Ludhiana seat in 2024. He was defeated by Congress candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

The Punjab Assembly elections are due early next year. The BJP has already said that it will contest the elections on its own.

Last week, Modi had unveiled various rail and road projects for Punjab and had also targeted the ruling AAP government over various issues including law and order, corruption and outstanding debt of the state. PTI CHS VSD RUK RUK

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)