Chandigarh, May 17 -- In a politically significant development, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu's one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday set off a flurry of speculation within Punjab's political circles. The 40-minute-long interaction at the PM's official residence in New Delhi was far more than a courtesy call - it reflected the BJP's strategic recalibration in Punjab, a state where the party has struggled to find firm electoral footing post its split with its decades-old ally - Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
While Bittu publicly framed the meeting as a discussion on development and shared admiration for Modi's leadership, particularly following India's recen...