Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering fresh buzz about a possible SAD-BJP reunion ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections.After an alliance of over two decades where they jointly governed Punjab between 1997 and 2002 and for two consecutive terms between 2007 and 2017, the BJP and SAD parted ways in September 2020 over the now repealed farm laws.Reacting to the reports of the PM Modi-Sukhbir meeting, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal posted on X, “Na na karte pyar tumheen se kar baithe!”Taking a dig at the possible alliance, he wrote, “Hence Chanda Chor Party and Beadbi Party are entering into an alliance?”While there was no word from either side on what transpired in the meeting, at least two senior SAD functionaries said Sukhbir Badal was “likely to have raised several issues concerning Punjab, governance issues – including law and order – and issues relating to the Sikh community and the SGPC”.On alliance buzz, SAD’s Sikander Singh Maluka said, “The alliance between the two parties is in the interests of the state. Cadres of both parties want an alliance.”He added, “In the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls also, both parties had discussions to re-stitch an alliance. The alliance at that time could not crystallise following the deadlock over seat sharing. We offered that the BJP could contest four seats and the SAD would contest the remaining nine, but they wanted five seats.”In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, fighting independently, SAD won only one seat, while the BJP drew a blank.The Akali representative said seat sharing should not be an issue for the upcoming Punjab elections. “BJP can specify the seats which it believes it can win and SAD can consider that and go for seat sharing accordingly,” he said.In the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, the SAD could win only three seats. The BJP, which contested the elections in alliance with the erstwhile Punjab Lok Congress led by Captain Amarinder Singh and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, won just two seats. Amarinder later merged his party with the BJP.In the 2017 state elections, where the BJP and the SAD contested as allies, the latter won 15 seats, while the saffron party bagged three seats. The Congress emerged as the single largest party and formed govt under Captain Amarinder Singh.A senior SAD functionary, wishing not to be named, said the party was ready to ally with the BJP to take on the AAP. “Another five years for the AAP will mean devastation for Punjab. To eliminate a bigger evil, there is no harm in allying with a lesser evil,” said the SAD representative.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon told the media, “The PM belongs to everyone. Sukhbir Singh Badal is a senior leader of the Akali Dal…Anyone can meet the PM.”Dhillon said he hoped that Sukhbir Badal would have discussed something good in the interests of Punjab.Asked about any possibility of an alliance, Dhillon reiterated the party stance. “Punjab BJP has prepared for all 117 seats. We will contest alone on all the 117 seats,” he said.A few days ago, a group of senior SAD functionaries led by Sukhbir also called upon Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who has been actively pursuing the BJP’s goals in Punjab by addressing rallies across the state to garner support for the party.According to an Akali functionary who was part of the group, apart from discussing issues related to the SGPC and the medical college in Shahbad, Punjab’s political scenario was also discussed with Saini.Notably, addressing the BJP’s ‘Badlav’ rally in Moga on March 14, Union home minister Amit Shah declared that the party was no longer willing to play the role of a junior partner in Punjab politics.He had said, “Whenever we came before you, we came in the role of a younger brother. We could not have formed the govt (on our own).”He then made the party’s position explicit, stating, “Magar aaj main keh kar jaata hu 27 (2027) kay chunav mein, BJP apni sarkar banane kay liye chunav ladne ja rahi hai. (But today I tell you that in the 2027 elections, the BJP is going to contest to form its own govt in Punjab).”Shah urged Punjabis to give the BJP “ik mauka (one chance)”, arguing that the state had already given opportunities to the Congress, the SAD and the AAP. “We will bring change in Punjab,” he said while expressing confidence that the BJP could independently form the next govt in the state.Addressing a gathering in Jalandhar on July 17, PM Narendra Modi said that the AAP govt had failed on law and order, corruption and drug menace, while the Congress and the SAD were preoccupied with their internal battles.He then asserted that “only the BJP can bring ‘badlav’ in Punjab”, signalling that the BJP was seeking to replace both the ruling AAP and its former ally, the SAD.The next day, however, Sukhbir said that the PM’s remarks were directed at breakaway factions of the Akali Dal.While one such faction, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), is believed to be exploring an alliance with the BJP, the other faction, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, opposes any truck with the saffron party.In November last year, former Punjab chief minister and veteran BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh had said the BJP would find it extremely difficult to form a govt in Punjab on its own. He argued that an alliance with the SAD was the practical path to power in 2027.In an interview to an online news channel, Amarinder had said, “If you want to win the 2027 assembly election, you have to have an alliance. Else, wait for two or three elections.”Reacting to speculations over an alliance between the SAD and BJP, leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, said that the alliance between the SAD and the BJP would hardly make a difference. “Zero plus zero is equal to zero,” he said.
