3 weeks ago
BJP-Akali alliance buzz returns ahead of Punjab polls
In India, there are different groups called political parties that work together or against each other to run the country.
Two parties, the BJP and the Akali Dal, used to be partners in the state of Punjab, but they broke up in 2020 over some farming rules that were later cancelled.
The leaders of the two parties, Mr. Modi and Mr. Badal, recently met and talked in a friendly way at Parliament.
Now many people are wondering whether the two parties will become partners again before a big state election in 2027.
Some party leaders say it could happen if they can agree on how many seats each party will contest.
Others say the BJP is getting ready to compete for all the seats on its own.
When the two parties ran separately in the 2024 national election, together they received more votes than the other big parties but still won very few seats.
That is why some people think teaming up again might help them win more elections.
But no one knows for sure yet, and the leaders are not telling.
PM Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal held a cordial 10-minute meeting in Parliament, reviving speculation of a BJP-SAD alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Talks had collapsed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections over seat-sharing, with the BJP wanting five of Punjab's 13 seats while the SAD was reportedly willing to concede four.
A day after the meeting, the SAD called for the immediate passage of the Women's Reservation Bill and a 'fair and equitable' delimitation, drawing praise from minister Kiren Rijiju but criticism from AAP, Congress and TMC MPs.
BJP leaders say any new alliance would differ from the pre-2020 arrangement, when the BJP contested 23 and the SAD 94 of 117 Assembly seats, and the party insists it is preparing to contest all 117 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls the parties' combined vote share of 31.98% exceeded Congress's 26.3% and AAP's 26.02%, yet the BJP won no Punjab seats and the SAD only one, while Congress took seven.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, and leaders of the BJP, SAD, AAP, Congress and Trinamool Congress in Punjab.
- What
- A public meeting between Modi and Badal revived speculation about a possible BJP-SAD alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
- Where
- Parliament, New Delhi, India; the political context is the state of Punjab.
- When
- The meeting took place last Friday in Parliament, with reactions and speculation continuing through the following Monday.
- Why
- With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, both parties are weighing electoral arithmetic, as their combined 2024 Lok Sabha vote share of 31.98% surpassed the Congress's and AAP's, and the need for a mutually acceptable seat-sharing formula.
Alliance backers
Alliance skeptics
Will a BJP-SAD alliance happen before 2027?
Alliance backers
SAD leader Sikander Singh Maluka says an alliance is the voice of the grassroots cadres of both parties and is in the best interest of both parties and Punjab, and a mutually acceptable seat-sharing formula could make it happen.
Alliance skeptics
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon says the party is preparing to contest all 117 seats, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini ruled out a reunion, saying the BJP's alliance in Punjab is with its people.
Seat-sharing formula
Alliance backers
BJP sources say the party can no longer play the 'younger brother' role that saw it contest only 23 seats, and any new alliance would look very different from the old arrangement.
Alliance skeptics
SAD insiders say an alliance cannot happen if one party bends too much, and it depends on a formula both sides find acceptable; the SAD's support for delimitation is based entirely on Punjab's interests.
SAD's support for the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation
Alliance backers
The SAD says its call for immediate passage of the Women's Reservation Bill and a 'fair and equitable' delimitation serves Punjab's interests, with a uniform 50% increase potentially raising the state's Lok Sabha seats from 18 to around 20.
Alliance skeptics
The AAP, Congress and Trinamool Congress MPs criticized the SAD's position, viewing it as a sign of coordination with the BJP soon after the Modi-Badal meeting.
Key facts
- Meeting
- 10-minute cordial meeting between PM Modi and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in Parliament
- Punjab Assembly seats
- 117 seats; old BJP-SAD formula was 23 for the BJP and 94 for the SAD
- 2024 Lok Sabha seat-sharing
- BJP sought 5 of Punjab's 13 seats; SAD was reportedly willing to concede 4
- 2024 Lok Sabha vote shares
- BJP 18.56%, SAD 13.42%, combined 31.98%
- 2024 Lok Sabha seats won in Punjab
- Congress 7, AAP 3, SAD 1, BJP 0
- 2019 combined vote share
- 37.08% (BJP and SAD together, two seats each)
- Reason for 2020 split
- Now-repealed farm laws
- Next Punjab Assembly election
- 2027
Quotes
Senior SAD leader
Political commentator from the Shiromani Akali Dal
“Pradhanji (Sukhbir Singh Badal) met the PM after a long time. Hence, if people are speculating, what can we say about it? As the meeting happened publicly, speculation has gained momentum.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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