Ravneet Singh Bittu: A New Face Inducted In Cabinet Without Winning Lok Sabha Seat

Modi 3.o Government: Ravneet Singh Bittu (48), the grandson of slain Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, served as a three-time Congress Lok Sabha MP, winning twice consecutively from Ludhiana (2014 and 2019). He recently switched to BJP and received the party's nomination as its candidate from Ludhiana.

#WATCH | Delhi: After attending the tea meeting at 7 LKM, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu says "...It is a very big thing for me that they (NDA) have chosen me in their cabinet even after losing the elections. Punjab has been given priority this time...I will prepare the ground… pic.twitter.com/5Na9Izbru6

— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2024

Bittu, known for his vocal criticism of pro-Khalistan Sikh hardliners, reported receiving threat calls from radicals twice in 2022. He opposed the release of Babbar Khalsa militant Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in his grandfather's assassination case. In August 2022, Bittu faced a formal complaint from the Vigilance Bureau for allegedly obstructing public duty and threatening vigilance sleuths during the arrest of former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu. Before joining BJP, Bittu was arrested for protesting against the AAP government by locking the gates of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation headquarters. He was later booked for forcefully halting operations at a carcass utilization plant in Ludhiana's Nurpur Bet village, supporting villagers opposing the plant.

The total allocation amounted to Rs 16 crore, with Rs 8.49 crore designated for the installation of CCTV cameras, Rs 2.18 crore for the construction of schools, community centers, and cremation grounds, Rs 1.25 crore for Covid medical equipment, Rs 2.16 crore for interlocking tiles in streets, tubewells, and sewage, and Rs 1.90 crore for open-air gyms and stadiums.

Ludhiana, Punjab's most populous district (approximately 34.98 lakh as per Census 2011), comprises fourteen assembly segments, nine of which belong to the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency. Urban segments consist of Ludhiana East, West, North, South, Central, and Atam Nagar, while rural segments include Dakha, Jagraon, and Gill. Additionally, five assembly segments—Sahnewal, Khanna, Payal, Samrala, and Raikot—belong to the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

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