Speculation over a possible reunion between the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has intensified ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Parliament.
The roughly 10-minute meeting has generated political interest because it took place publicly, unlike previous closed-door discussions between the former allies. However, leaders from both parties have publicly played down suggestions that an alliance is imminent. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini dismissed the possibility, while Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon maintained that his party was preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats.
The BJP and SAD were longtime allies before splitting in 2020 over the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws. Attempts at a rapprochement ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections failed, with seat-sharing emerging as a major sticking point. The BJP reportedly wanted five of Punjab’s 13 parliamentary seats, while the SAD was prepared to offer four.
Any new arrangement for the Assembly elections could prove even more complicated. Under their previous formula, the SAD contested 94 of Punjab’s 117 seats and the BJP 23. BJP leaders now argue that the party’s increased vote share means it cannot return to its former role as the junior partner in the alliance.
The BJP’s vote share in Punjab rose from 9.63 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to 18.56 per cent in 2024, although it failed to win a seat. The SAD’s share, meanwhile, dropped from 27.45 per cent to 13.42 per cent, with the party winning one seat. Together, the two parties received 31.98 per cent of the vote in 2024, compared with 26.3 per cent for the Congress and 26.02 per cent for the Aam Aadmi Party.
Within the SAD, opinions over a potential reunion appear mixed. Senior leaders have publicly denied that an alliance is being negotiated, while Sikander Singh Maluka said there was grassroots support among workers of both parties for joining forces. Other party insiders have suggested an agreement could be possible if the two sides find a mutually acceptable seat-sharing formula.
Speculation also increased after the SAD backed the immediate implementation of women’s reservation and called for a “fair and equitable” delimitation exercise shortly after the Modi-Badal meeting. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju welcomed the position, while opposition parties in Punjab criticized the SAD’s stance.
With both parties assessing their prospects against the AAP and Congress ahead of 2027, electoral arithmetic could provide an incentive for renewed cooperation. However, the balance of power within any partnership — particularly how Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies would be divided — remains the biggest obstacle to reviving the former alliance.
