New Delhi: BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu on Sunday said that despite the loss from Ludhiana in the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi has chosen him to be included in his council of ministers as the progress of Punjab is a "priority" of the BJP. Led the NDA government.

Bittu, a three-time former Congress MP from Punjab, had joined the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections. He contested the re-election from Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat on BJP ticket, but lost to Amarinder Singh Raja Waring of Congress.

Speaking to , the BJP leader said that he had left the Congress because he wanted Punjab to get representation in the central government.

Bittu said, “I did not want to sit on the opposition bench for the fourth time.”

“The BJP fulfilled my dream and said whether we win (in the elections) or not, Punjab is on priority, and gave me a ministerial berth, even though I was not elected. This is because Punjab is the priority of the NDA government.

Bittu said that BJP wants to see Punjab prosperous and wants to free the state from debt and drugs.

“The BJP and NDA governments want to bring Punjab back on the right path,” he said.