AMRITSAR: Whether former alliance partners BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will once again join hands ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections remains uncertain, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s meeting with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has revived speculation about a possible reunion, particularly in the Majha region, where the two parties currently have one MLA each.SAD’s lone MLA, Ganieve Kaur Majithia, represents Majitha, while BJP’s Ashwani Kumar Sharma represents Pathankot. In the 2022 Assembly elections, SAD and BJP won three and two seats, respectively.The meeting has triggered fresh discussions within both camps, with some leaders dismissing the possibility of an alliance, while others believe political compulsions could eventually bring the estranged allies together. Some even see a renewed alliance emerging as a serious contender for power in Punjab, especially amid a series of meetings within both camps in the Majha region.Though electorally weak in terms of their present Assembly strength, the two parties continue to possess complementary support bases, with the SAD retaining influence among sections of the traditional Sikh electorate and the BJP having strengthened its position among urban and Hindu voters.Political analyst Jagdeep Singh said the Akalis had realised the importance of rebuilding ties with the BJP. “The Akalis have realised the significance of staying together. If the SAD continues to respect the directions of the Akal Takht and does not bypass them, it could consolidate its traditional support base, while the BJP has strengthened its position in urban Punjab. Together, they could emerge as serious contenders for government formation,” he said.SAD quit the NDA in 2020 over the farm laws, ending a 23-year alliance and enabling the BJP to expand its independent political base, particularly among urban voters in Punjab.SAD senior vice-president Bhai Manjit Singh, however, remained cautious. “The meeting between Sukhbir and Modi has certainly rekindled hopes of an alliance, but there is still a lot that needs to be worked out,” he said.Sources privy to the developments claimed that a senior SAD leader had facilitated the Modi-Badal meeting. The immediate objective may not have been to finalise an alliance but to create political uncertainty among rival parties ahead of the elections.“Not only the SAD but also SAD (Punar Surjit) is expecting an invitation from the BJP. The BJP could keep potential allies guessing by holding out the possibility of an alliance without making a firm commitment, which works to its advantage,” said the source, while also pointing to the possibility of an understanding between the SAD and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s Akali Dal Waris Punjab De.The possibility has also alerted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, which may be working to change their strategies, the sources said.Senior BJP leader Somdutt Sharma isn’t optimistic about an immediate reunion. He said the Akalis had realised they could not form a government in Punjab without Hindu votes and therefore needed the BJP. At the same time, Sharma claimed the alliance’s break-up had strengthened the BJP organisationally, citing its growing presence in panchayats, particularly in the Majha region.
