Ludhiana West bypoll a litmus test for Ravneet Bittu

The high-stakes Ludhiana West bypoll is likely to be the first real test of the popularity of Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu after he secured a ministerial berth in the Modi 3.0 government despite losing the Ludhiana Lok Sabha contest in 2024.

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Despite losing the contest to Congress’ Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the BJP secured a significant psychological victory as Bittu led from the Assembly segment by 14,342 votes.

This margin has ignited the hope of a repeat or even better performance in the bypoll.

In the 2022 Assembly poll, BJP candidate Bikram Singh Sidhu was polled 28,107 votes and finished third. Congress’ Bharat Bhushan Ashu got 32,931 votes and AAP’s Gurpreet Singh Gogi 40,443.

Bittu has taken charge of BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta’s campaign. Alongside public meetings, he led a roadshow on Sunday. On Monday, he addressed a public meeting and held a roadshow.

Political circles had been abuzz with the speculation that the BJP wanted to field Bittu’s wife but the plan did not materialise. This delay contributed to the party’s late announcement of its candidate.

Now, party strategists are relying on Bittu’s local connections, his Congress background and ministerial status to sway undecided voters in the Hindu-dominated seat.

“This isn’t just another bypoll. It’s a verdict on our development agenda and a reflection of people’s faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Bittu,” said a senior BJP leader in Ludhiana.

For Bittu, who joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, this bypoll is more than a routine contest — it’s a credibility test.

His transition has drawn criticism from former Congress supporters and skepticism from BJP loyalists. A strong performance in the bypoll could solidify his standing within the party and Punjab politics.

On Sunday, he strongly advised voters to critically evaluate their electoral choices.

He endorsed BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta as the most viable option for fostering comprehensive development within the region, while simultaneously issuing a cautionary note against AAP and Congress candidates.

Bittu launched a scathing attack against AAP, saying the party’s only aim was to send Arvind Kejriwal to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.

He levelled the allegation as AAP has fielded Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora in the bypoll and his seat will fall vacant if he is elected to the state Assembly and resigns from the Upper House of Parliament.