SAD Chief Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi, Triggers Alliance Buzz Ahead of Punjab Elections 2027; Here's What State BJP Chief Said

New Delhi: Less than a year ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, buzz has been triggered over former allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal, coming together after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday.

Notably, the former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister had met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini a few days ago, leading to his meeting with the PM. Badal met the Prime Minister at Parliament House in New Delhi.

However, Punjab BJP state unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon dismissed the buzz, saying, "Any senior leader can meet the PM. Sukhbir Singh Badal was the deputy CM. I am happy that he must have spoken for the good of Punjab. We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone. A major joining is going to happen."

For the unversed, the nearly two-and-a-half-decade-old alliance between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal broke in 2020 amid the controversy over the three contentious farm laws, which were later rolled back by the Centre. At the time, the Akali Dal announced its decision to withdraw from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Alliance history

Both parties contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections independently. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party failed to win any seats in the state, while the Akali Dal managed to secure only one.

Punjab poll schedule

Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Punjab early next year, along with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party registered a historic victory and won 92 of the 117 seats. Meanwhile, the Congress won just 18 seats.