Chandigarh, May 23 -- With Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu's Rajya Sabha term set to end on June 21, political circles in Punjab are closely watching the BJP high command's next move and the role the party is likely to assign him ahead of the crucial 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Sources close to Bittu maintain he will likely secure another Rajya Sabha term from Rajasthan during the upcoming three-seat elections announced on Friday, and is expected to retain his position in the Union Cabinet. A section within the BJP believes that he may also be entrusted with a larger organisational responsibility in Punjab as the party prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls aggressively on its own strength. A three-time Congress MP from Ludhiana before switching over to the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bittu had unsuccessfully contested the Ludhiana parliamentary seat after joining the saffron party. Despite the defeat, the BJP leadership inducted him as a Union minister of state in the Modi-led government 3.0. He was later elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan after being nominated to fill the vacancy created following the resignation of senior BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena. Bittu's Rajya Sabha tenure is ending at a time when intense discussions are underway within the BJP regarding a possible Union cabinet reshuffle, the formation of the new national team and the appointment of a new Punjab BJP chief. With the BJP leadership strongly considering appointing a Sikh face as the next Punjab BJP president, Bittu is being seen as one of the frontrunners for the post. The current state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has already completed a significant tenure, and the party is understood to be exploring options to strengthen its outreach among Sikh voters. A Jat Sikh leader, Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in Chandigarh in 1995. Many in the BJP believe that Beant Singh's legacy still carries goodwill among a large section of Punjab's Hindu population because of his government's role in curbing militancy in the state during the 1990s. As Union minister of state for railways, he has been credited with pushing several long-pending projects in Punjab, including Chandigarh-Rajpura rail link, rail connectivity project for Talwandi Sabo and the Ferozepur-Patti rail link. Bittu is also considered close to Union home minister Amit Shah, who during campaigning for the Ludhiana Lok Sabha elections had described him as his "personal friend". Bittu was not available for comment despite repeated attempts. However, during a recent press conference, he had said he was ready to serve the party in any capacity assigned to him by the high command....