Rival parties have frequently brought up the subject, as have BJP officials like Capt. Amarinder Singh and former Punjab head Sunil Jakhar, even though BJP and SAD leaders have mainly refrained from making firm public declarations on a potential partnership.
At a time when backchannel talks between the two former allies are already the focus of intense chatter, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has publicly discussed the possibility of a renewed alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP for the first time, sparking new political conjecture.
Speaking at a “Lok Milni” event on June 9 at Shamaspur village in the Malerkotla district, Mann sharply criticised the prospect of a SAD-BJP reunion, claiming that it would be harmful to Punjab and politically opportunistic.
“No ideology or concern for the general welfare will serve as the foundation for the partnership. These parties have no agenda beyond looting Punjab of its resources and exploiting ordinary citizens,” the CM said. “After being repeatedly rejected by the people of Punjab, it represents a desperate attempt by both parties to regain political power.”
He added that a SAD-BJP merger would be disastrous for both parties because its leaders had been “spewing venom” and abusing each other for years. Arvind Kejriwal, the national convener of the AAP, has long referred to the SAD as the “beadbi-chitta (sacrilege-drugs) party” and the BJP as the “ED (Enforcement Directorate) party” in order to disparage them and the previous alliance’s rule from 2007 to 2017.
Leaders of opposing parties have frequently brought up the subject, although leaders of the BJP and SAD have mainly refrained from making firm public declarations regarding a potential partnership. However, BJP leaders, like as former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Capt. Amarinder Singh, have referred to a SAD-BJP alliance as a “emotion of the masses” on multiple occasions.
“The BJP can’t come to power in the state without an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal,” Amarinder Singh firmly declared upon Kewal Singh Dhillon’s selection as Punjab BJP president.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior SAD leader questioned why the ruling AAP was bringing up the matter so forcefully. “Rival parties, not the parties concerned, are raising the potential of alliance discussions. There is a voice at the grassroots level that an alliance can improve Punjabi politics and foster intercommunal unity, but the AAP has never mentioned it before. The leader stated, “It appears that they are in a panic over whether an alliance happens at all.”
But Dhillon, the leader of the Punjab BJP, decided to be cautious about the coalition rumours. “We are getting ready for the 2027 Assembly elections in all 117 seats, and we will restore Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s authority once more,” Dhillon declared.
However, according to BJP officials, the partnership option is still viable. “We have not yet closed the doors on an alliance, even though the BJP is preparing for the 2027 elections in Punjab, especially since many senior party leaders themselves advocate for an alliance on many public platforms,” a BJP insider stated.
Senior SAD politician Daljeet Singh Cheema told The Indian Express in response to Mann’s comments, saying, “The AAP should think about its own party rather than bothering about rivals.” The SAD is now building its organisational structure and concentrating on its own party. We are not considering forming an alliance. When the opportunity arises, we will consider it. Given their own failure on all fronts, I wonder why Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal are so eager to pry into their opponents’ party affairs.
However, a top SAD leader who wished to remain unnamed also hinted that there might be truth to the rumours. Without a fire, there is no smoke. Indeed, there is discussion of an alliance if Kejriwal and Mann are becoming irate over the prospect. However, only time will tell where and when it will appear.
There is an odd coincidence, according to sources. Last week, Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of SAD, spent three to four days in Delhi, coinciding with the visit of Capt. Amarinder Singh and Dhillon of the BJP to the nation’s capital.
The conversation is being driven by electoral maths, according to SAD sources. “The SAD has a strong base in the Malwa region despite currently being in the opposition, and the BJP has its strength in urban areas, as demonstrated by the recent urban local body polls and block samiti polls held last December.” According to a top SAD leader, “an alliance is the only solution or else both will be nowhere in 2027.”
Sikander Singh Maluka, a former SAD minister, has previously publicly supported a reunion. “I work in towns and villages as a grassroots leader. Thus, when I encounter the masses, they discuss forming an alliance. Therefore, I want to stress that it is the voice of the people to form an alliance, and I have expressed this opinion at my party several times. The heads of both parties are responsible for the remainder, according to Maluka.
In November 1996, the SAD and BJP formed an alliance. In a few of months, the alliance won 94 of Punjab’s 117 seats in the 1997 Assembly elections. In 2007 and 2012, the coalition came back to power.
Following the SAD’s walkout over the now-repealed farm policies, the partnership came to an end in September 2020. Despite its initial support for the farm rules, the SAD changed its mind in response to mounting farmer demonstrations in Punjab.
Both parties have had electoral difficulties since then. Only two of the 73 seats the BJP ran for in the 2022 Assembly elections were won.
“Talks for an alliance had taken place in 2024, but they fell through because the SAD insisted on the outdated 10:3 seat-sharing system. The BJP will no longer accept the same old recipe. An alliance can only occur if these procedures are completed, a BJP leader stated.
Both the SAD and the BJP are currently unwilling to openly recognise talks. However, the extraordinary ferocity with which rivals are debating the issue indicates that the likelihood of a reunion between Punjab’s oldest political allies is still very much alive.
