3 days ago
BJP, Akali Dal Face Hurdles Reviving Punjab Alliance
The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal used to contest elections together in Punjab.
They separated in 2020 after the Akali Dal disagreed with central farm laws.
Now, private discussions about joining hands again are reportedly happening.
The BJP publicly says it will contest all 117 seats by itself.
The old alliance worked because the BJP appealed more to Hindu voters while the Akali Dal appealed more to Sikh voters.
Some leaders worry that voters may not support the two parties together as they once did.
Many former Akali leaders have moved to the BJP, which could make sharing seats difficult.
The Akali Dal is still interested because it is competing with several parties for Punjab’s Sikh vote.
Disagreements over religious and prisoner-related issues could also make a new alliance harder.
Despite public claims of contesting alone, BJP-SAD backchannel talks reportedly continue ahead of Punjab’s February 2027 Assembly elections.
The alliance ended in September 2020 after SAD opposed the central farm laws, and both parties later contested separately.
The former partnership linked BJP’s Hindu urban support with SAD’s Sikh base, but leaders now question whether votes would transfer between them.
Several senior SAD and Congress figures have joined the BJP, complicating possible seat-sharing and a joint campaign.
SAD remains interested in an alliance while facing competition from AAP, Congress and Amritpal Singh’s Akali Dal for Sikh voters.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal, including leaders from both parties.
- What
- The parties are reportedly exploring a renewed electoral alliance despite the BJP’s public position that it will contest alone.
- Where
- Punjab, India.
- When
- Ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for February 2027; their previous alliance ended in September 2020.
- Why
- The Akali Dal is seeking political support while facing pressure on its Sikh base, and both parties are assessing whether their former voter coalition can be rebuilt.
Arguments for a renewed alliance
Arguments against or concerns about the alliance
Electoral coalition
Arguments for a renewed alliance
Supporters say the former alliance combined the BJP’s appeal among Hindu voters with the SAD’s reach among Sikh voters, creating complementary support.
Arguments against or concerns about the alliance
Critics say Punjab’s political landscape has changed, and the two parties may now compete for some of the same Sikh and semi-urban voters.
Seat-sharing and vote transfer
Arguments for a renewed alliance
The SAD could gain from the BJP’s stronger urban Hindu support and the BJP could receive Sikh votes in seats allocated to it.
Arguments against or concerns about the alliance
Leaders question whether BJP votes would transfer to SAD candidates in rural constituencies and whether SAD voters would support BJP candidates in Sikh-dominated seats.
Public image and political disputes
Arguments for a renewed alliance
An alliance could give the SAD a stronger platform while it faces competition from AAP, Congress and Akali Dal (Warris Punjab De).
Arguments against or concerns about the alliance
Recent defections of SAD leaders to the BJP, past criticism between leaders and disputes over paroles and Sikh prisoners could damage the credibility of a joint campaign.
Key facts
- Assembly seats
- Punjab has 117 Assembly seats.
- Previous alliance
- The BJP and SAD were erstwhile NDA allies until SAD left in September 2020.
- 2022 Assembly election
- The parties contested separately; the Aam Aadmi Party swept the election.
- 2024 Lok Sabha election
- The BJP won no Punjab seat and received 18% of the vote, while SAD won one of 13 seats with 13%.
- BJP’s public position
- BJP leaders have said the party will contest all Punjab Assembly seats independently.
- Recent defections
- Several SAD leaders, including Amarpal Bony, Manjeet Singh Manna, Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon and Darshan Singh Kotfatta, have joined the BJP.
- Religious issue
- Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s repeated paroles and the continued imprisonment of some Sikh prisoners are potential alliance challenges.
Quotes
An unnamed SAD leader
A Shiromani Akali Dal leader discussing prospective seat-sharing and vote transfer
“The BJP is expected to get the SAD’s semi-urban seats in the alliance deal, where there are Sikh votes which may be transferred to BJP. But in rural seats such as mine, how much BJP votes would be transferred to my vote share? These were the voters of the Congress before Modi intensified the polarisation process.”
indianexpress.com
“The SAD-BJP tie-up has its positives and negatives. It has more negatives now than what the alliance faced before 2019. That was a totally different alignment. Also, it is now not the BJP of Attal Bihari Vajpayee or Lal Krishna Advani that we are dealing with. So we need to be alert.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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