Modi-Badal meeting sparks buzz over potential BJP-Akali Dal alliance for Punjab polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has ignited speculation about a possible reunion of the former allies ahead of the Punjab assembly elections, due early next year. The one-on-one discussion at the Prime Minister's Office in Parliament House complex comes years after the SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020. The SAD's departure followed protests against the now-repealed farm laws, ending a 23-year alliance that began in 1997.

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discuss issues pertaining to Punjab

Badal told reporters after the meeting that he had discussed "issues pertaining to Punjab" with the Prime Minister but declined to comment on the possibility of a political reunion. However, a senior SAD leader indicated that the revival of the alliance was discussed. The meeting gains significance as political activity intensifies for the crucial Punjab assembly elections, with the model code of conduct expected to be implemented later this year.

Despite the high-profile meeting, BJP leaders have consistently asserted that the party intends to contest all 117 assembly seats in Punjab on its own. Newly appointed Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon reiterated this stance, stating, "Any senior leader can meet the PM. We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone. A major joining is going to happen." BJP national spokesperson RP Singh echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the meeting did not signify an alliance or compromise, and that the party was fully prepared to fight and win all seats independently.

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Any senior leader can meet the PM. We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone. A major joining is going to happen.

The BJP and SAD were long-standing alliance partners, forming governments in Punjab together in 1997, 2007, and 2012. Their alliance fractured in September 2020 when the Akali Dal withdrew from the NDA in protest against the central government's farm laws. Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Sukhbir Badal's wife, resigned from the Union cabinet over the issue. Although the laws were later repealed, the parties explored a reunion before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but talks collapsed over seat-sharing arrangements. The BJP reportedly sought a larger share of seats than the SAD was willing to concede.

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It does not mean that we are going to have any alliance or compromise. We are preparing to contest elections on all 117 seats, and we are fully prepared to fight and win on all 117 seats. Sukhbir Singh Badal must have had certain issues related to Punjab that he wanted to discuss, which is why he met the Prime Minister.