PM-Sukhbir Badal Meet Triggers Punjab Tie-up Buzz, Arvind Kejriwal's Swipe

A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has triggered buzz around a possible reunion of the former allies in Punjab.

Badal met the Prime Minister at Parliament House in New Delhi on Friday, sparking fresh political speculation ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

According to sources in the Akali Dal, Badal discussed Punjab's law and order situation with the Prime Minister and also apprised him of other issues in the state, including alleged corruption in AAP government schemes. 

But the meeting has assumed greater significance amid intensified political activity in the state ahead of next year's Assembly elections.

The first to take note of the meeting was AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who asked if an alliance was in the works. 

"Are the two parties coming together?" he posted on X.

ना ना करते प्यार तुम्ही से कर बैठे।

तो क्या चन्दा चोर पार्टी और बेअदबी पार्टी का गठबंधन हो रहा है?

Sukhbir Singh Badal meets PM Modi at Parliament House; key discussions underway | Punjab - PTC News https://t.co/xlpm2l5UZ8

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 7, 2026

For months, BJP leaders have maintained that the party would contest the 2027 Assembly elections independently. BJP leaders had repeatedly asserted that the party was preparing to fight the elections on its own in Punjab.

However, Sukhbir Singh Badal's meeting with Prime Minister Modi has once again fueled speculation that the two former allies could explore the possibility of reviving their alliance before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

The nearly two-and-a-half-decade-old alliance between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal collapsed in 2020 amid the controversy over the three contentious farm laws. At the time, the Akali Dal announced its decision to withdraw from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Since then, both parties contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently. Despite the split, periodic meetings between senior leaders of the two parties have kept speculation alive about a possible revival of the alliance.

Friday's meeting is also being closely watched for any political signals regarding the future relationship between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal. 

Neither the Prime Minister's Office nor the Shiromani Akali Dal has issued an official statement on the discussions so far.