Chandigarh, Sept 9: Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu will accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his survey of flood-affected areas in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, a move being viewed as a significant marker of his rising stature within the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Party insiders confirmed that Bittu will be the only Punjab-based BJP minister traveling with the Prime Minister, a role traditionally reserved for state presidents or senior-most figures. His inclusion, they said, reflects the central leadership’s confidence in positioning him as a prominent Sikh voice in Punjab, where the BJP has been seeking to expand its footprint.
“This is a clear signal of the trust the party has placed in Bittu,” said a senior functionary. “He is increasingly being projected as a national face with strong local roots.”
Bittu, who also holds the junior portfolio of Railways, is scheduled to join Modi in a key meeting with Punjab government officials in Gurdaspur later in the evening. The meeting will review the flood situation and chart coordinated relief measures, sources added.
The Prime Minister and Bittu are expected to depart for the flood-hit districts immediately after casting their votes in the Vice Presidential election earlier in the day. Political observers noted that Bittu’s presence alongside Modi could indicate a shift in internal party equations, with some suggesting it places him ahead of state BJP president Sunil Jakhar in terms of visibility and influence.
The Ludhiana-based leader has been steadily gaining prominence within the state unit. Last month, he joined Jakhar and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan during a two-day tour of Punjab. Images from the visit, which showed Chauhan riding a tractor while Jakhar and Bittu alternated at the wheel, were seen as part of the BJP’s outreach to the state’s powerful farming community.
Analysts say his frequent appearances in such high-profile engagements underline the party’s strategy of projecting him as a grassroots leader with national standing. “With Bittu, the BJP has found a leader who can speak to both the base in Punjab and the broader electorate beyond,” a political observer remarked.
With his name now associated with Modi’s flood survey, Bittu is being increasingly seen as the BJP’s go-to figure in Punjab—one whose influence is expanding well beyond the state.
