BJP, Akali Dal To Revive Alliance? PM-Sukhbir Badal Meet Triggers Buzz

Are former allies BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal set for a reunion ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls next year? A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday has triggered buzz around a revival of the old alliance.

Badal met the Prime Minister at Parliament House in New Delhi, and according to sources, alliance talks were on the meeting's agenda.

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. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP failed to win any seats in the state, while the Akali Dal managed to secure only one.

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.

Sources told NDTV that the Akali Dal, the state BJP unit, and the RSS are all in favour of reviving the alliance. Leaders who have joined the BJP from the Congress also favour the restoration of the alliance, and the final call rests with the BJP's central leadership, sources added.

Interestingly, Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Moga in March this year had categoricaly ruled out alliance with Akali Dal.

Analysts believe that both parties will benefit from the alliance as the BJP has a presence in the state's urban areas, while the Akali Dal is influential in rural Punjab.

During a recent visit to Punjab, BJP president Nitin Nabin had stated that a decision regarding the alliance would be taken at an appropriate time.

Sources have told NDTV that the BJP wants the renewal of the alliance on equal footing now. Previously, the BJP played the role of junior partner in the alliance, and the Akali Dal always had the upper hand.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has, according to sources, also asserted that the BJP would not play the role of a 'younger brother' in the alliance anymore.

However, according to Akali leaders, details such as seat-sharing can be discussed later and the immediate priority is to improve the situation in Punjab. They believe the security situation in border-state Punjab is precarious and could pose a challenge to national security, sources said.

SAD-BJP's main rival, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, was quick to take note of the PM-Badal meet and 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.