As Punjab’s political parties begin to weigh their options ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party and SAD (Punar Surjit) have signalled a willingness to join hands, while ruling out any alliance with the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal.
The BSP could be offered around five to seven seats, while other seats could go to the other alliance partners depending on their organisational strength and electoral prospects, he shared. It was the Akali Dal that broke the tie-up, not the BJP. The clarification came amid renewed speculation about a possible rapprochement between the erstwhile partners after Sukhbir Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi recently. The BJP leader, however, played down the significance of the meeting, saying that several political leaders meet the Prime Minister during Parliament sessions and that it would be difficult to say what was discussed between the two leaders.
The leader said if negotiations with the smaller parties fructified, the BJP was preparing to contest around 70-80 of Punjab’s 117 assembly seats, with the remaining constituencies being distributed among its prospective allies.
Speaking to select scribes, a senior BJP leader, who has a say in the party’s organisational affairs in Punjab, said a dialogue had been initiated with SAD (Punar Surjit) and other emerging political formations, including Waris Punjab De, as it sought to expand its social and political footprint in Punjab. Dismissing any possibility of an alliance with the SAD, the BJP leader said, “Over the years, there have been several occasions when our alliance partner misled the party, causing considerable losses to the BJP. The SAD (Punar Surjit) chief also said his party was prepared to work towards unity with SAD and other Panthic forces, but “not with the Badal family at any cost”. Taking a swipe at SAD, Singh said his party would not repeat what he described as the “mistake” of 1996, when the Akali Dal entered into an “unconditional alliance” with the BJP. He said the list would comprise a mix of experienced and younger leaders, including former ministers, former members of Parliament and former office-bearers.
SAD (Punar Surjit) president Giani Harpreet Singh on Saturday said talks with the BJP were underway and that his party was willing to explore an understanding with jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s Waris Punjab De and other Panthic forces, but stressed that any understanding would have to be based on a mutually agreed agenda to safeguard the interests of the Panth and Punjab.
