Chandigarh: Putting to rest speculation that SAD Punar Surjit could be part of a broader alliance involving former allies Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, breakaway Akali faction chief Giani Harpreet Singh on Tuesday ruled out any such arrangement. He also declared that if the BJP re-stitches its alliance with the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD, SAD Punar Surjit would oppose the BJP in the Punjab polls.Addressing a gathering at Gurdwara Reru Sahib in Ludhiana district, Giani Harpreet said: “I want to make it clear today, and this is the sentiment of the organisation, that if any party, be it the BJP or any A, B or C party, allies with the Badals, we will have nothing to do with that party.”In an apparent reference to Badal and the party led by him, Giani Harpreet said: “We cannot sit with these betrayers of the Panth.”He further said: “We will not allow parties like the BJP to help these individuals, who betrayed the Akal Takht and used Punjab as a stepping stone. We will oppose any such attempts to impose these spent forces on us. This is our clear stand.”Giani Harpreet claimed that SAD Punar Surjit had held discussions with the BJP on Panthic and Punjab-related issues, not on a political alliance. He also strongly criticised former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, who quit SAD Punar Surjit to rejoin SAD, and Bibi Jagir Kaur, who is expected to join SAD in the coming days. He said that after their exit, he could now say with conviction that those who remained with SAD Punar Surjit were “honest and loyal”.He alleged that leaders such as Chandumajra had negotiated an alliance with the BJP and even advocated unity with Sukhbir. “But we will not compromise under any circumstances with those who are deserters of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. If the BJP aligns with them, we will consider it anti-Sikh and oppose it fiercely,” he said.Giani Harpreet added: “If the BJP is genuinely concerned about Sikhs, it will never ally with Sukhbir Singh Badal because no leader has damaged the roots of Sikhism more than him. If the BJP has even an iota of sympathy for Sikhs, it will not tie up with them. If it does, it will expose its intentions. No one other than the Badals can match the scale of damage done to Sikhism in Punjab.”He said he never aspired to lead the breakaway faction but accepted the role of president at the request of party leaders who had questioned Badal’s functioning. He asserted that he would continue the fight even if left alone.“In my first speech at Burj Akali Phoola Singh, I stated that I had no political experience and asked them to be my strength. However, those who gave the strongest assurances were the first to leave. But I am not among those who run away; I will firmly face every hardship,” he said, while praising the late Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and senior party functionary Ravi Inder Singh for supporting him.Referring to those who left the party, he said they were the same individuals who had approached Sri Akal Takht Sahib with a letter and had even sought recommendations from abroad, urging the Singh Sahibans to excommunicate Sukhbir Singh Badal from the Panth.He likened the breakaway faction to a sapling that would continue to grow despite losing a few leaves, an apparent reference to leaders who had quit the party. In a veiled dig at the SAD led by Badal, he said those claiming to be a large tree now had dry roots and could no longer produce fresh shoots.Meanwhile, SAD Punar Surjit is once again exploring an alliance with jailed MP Amritpal Singh-led Akali Dal Waris Punjab De. A senior party functionary said, “Informal discussions are taking place with the leadership of Akali Dal Waris Punjab De for a united front in the 2027 Punjab elections.”The party is also likely to announce a committee on Wednesday to hold talks with like-minded factions with the aim of creating a joint Panthic platform for the 2027 polls.
