Speculation is growing over a possible revival of the political alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The two leaders reportedly met for around 30 minutes in Parliament. Neither side issued an official statement after the meeting, but the development has sparked considerable political discussion in Punjab. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has also criticised the meeting.
The SAD had walked out of the National Democratic Alliance in September 2020 in protest against the Modi government’s controversial farm laws. Sukhbir Badal’s wife, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, had resigned from the Union Cabinet at the time.
The two parties subsequently contested elections separately. Their performance in the 2022 Punjab Assembly election was disappointing. The SAD, which contested the election in alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party, won only three of the state’s 117 seats. The BJP won two seats after contesting alongside former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress.
The parties again fought separately in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The SAD won one of Punjab’s 13 seats, with Harsimrat Kaur Badal retaining her constituency, while the BJP failed to win any seat.
With Punjab scheduled to hold Assembly elections next year, political observers believe the BJP and SAD could be considering a renewed alliance after successive electoral setbacks.
However, internal divisions have also weakened the SAD. Several influential leaders have formed a parallel faction following differences with Sukhbir Badal, potentially complicating any future alliance strategy.
