BJP Plays Down SAD Alliance Rumors Following Modi-Badal Meeting
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has dismissed speculation regarding a renewed alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Saini's remarks follow a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, which was the first interaction between the two parties since they severed their nearly two-decade alliance over three farm bills in 2020.
Addressing the alliance rumors, Saini stated that the Prime Minister is open to meeting representatives from any political party, adding that the BJP's primary alliance remains directly with the people of Punjab. Meanwhile, political observers point to SAD's recent electoral decline as a factor driving alliance speculation.
SAD's electoral performance has steadily decreased in recent state and national elections:
- 2012 Assembly Elections: SAD won 56 seats with a 34.73% vote share.
- 2017 Assembly Elections: SAD won 15 seats with a 25.24% vote share.
- 2022 Assembly Elections: SAD won 3 seats with an 18.38% vote share.
- Lok Sabha Elections: SAD's seat tally dropped from 4 seats (26.37% vote share) in 2014, to 2 seats (27.76%) in 2019, and down to 1 seat (13.48%) in 2024.
Following the meeting with PM Modi, Sukhbir Singh Badal reversed his previous stance on the Centre's delimitation proposal under the Women's Reservation Bill. Having criticized the move in April over concerns about Punjab's minority status, Badal altered his position four months later to support the immediate implementation of the bill and a 50 percent increase in parliamentary seats across states.
Badal's policy shift drew criticism from political opponents. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring questioned the U-turn, accusing Badal of prioritizing political survival, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed SAD was eager to re-enter a coalition. The BJP currently holds 2 assembly seats in Punjab with a 6.6% vote share, and secured an 18.65% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections without winning a seat.
