Akali Dal Weighs Possible Alliance with BJP Ahead of 2027 Punjab Polls

A potential political reunion between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP is drawing attention as the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approach.

Signals and Votes

Senior leaders from both parties have made remarks supporting a tie-up over the past three months. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has twice mentioned forming an NDA government in Punjab in 2027, while former BJP national president Nitin Nabin stated earlier this year that his party was open to alliances. Speculation also followed a meeting between SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 7. Soon after, the SAD supported the Women's Reservation Bill and the Centre's proposed increase in Assembly seats. On August 20, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal spoke about the possibility of an alliance while addressing a gathering in Sangrur. Her brother Bikram Singh Majithia and veteran leader Sikander Singh Maluka also made supportive statements. Harsimrat later stated her remarks were misinterpreted. Meanwhile, the BJP state president Kewal Singh Dhillon maintained that his party is preparing to contest all 117 seats. Electoral numbers explain the growing interest in a partnership. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the SAD-BJP alliance polled 37.08 per cent of the vote and won four seats. After the two parties split, the BJP's vote share rose to 18.56 per cent in 2024, while the SAD's vote share fell to 13.42 per cent. Their combined 2024 vote share of 31.98 per cent still topped the Congress at 26.30 per cent and AAP at 26.02 per cent, even though the BJP won zero seats and the SAD won just one.

Challenges and Risks

For the SAD, the decline has left the party with just one MLA and one Lok Sabha MP, with candidates losing their security deposits in 10 of 13 constituencies in 2024. The party also faces competition from breakaway groups like SAD (Punar Surjit) led by Giani Harpreet Singh and Amritpal Singh's Akali Dal Waris Punjab De. A reunion comes with political costs. Opponents including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Congress frequently highlight past issues, including the farm laws and the protests that saw the deaths of over 750 farmers. Sukhbir Singh Badal has not explicitly confirmed talks, stating on November 2 that he was not an astrologer, though he noted the SAD is open to alliances with non-Congress and non-Akali parties that accept its ideology.

Context

Political alliances in Punjab have historically shifted based on electoral calculations, shifting vote shares, and the need to combine rural agrarian support with urban voter bases. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP previously shared a long-standing partnership before parting ways over contentious agricultural reforms that sparked nationwide protests.