Chandigarh: Speculation over a possible BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections has been put to rest after Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon clarified that the party will contest the elections independently.
The clarification came after SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, a meeting that had triggered political speculation about a revival of the long-standing alliance between the two parties.
Dhillon said the BJP has no plans for an electoral alliance with the Akali Dal and is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats on its own. He noted that BJP national president Nitin Nabin had also announced during his Punjab visit in June 2026 that the party would field candidates in every constituency.
Commenting on the meeting between Sukhbir Badal and the Prime Minister, Dhillon said there was nothing unusual about it, noting that Badal had previously served as Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister and as a Member of Parliament.
“Anyone can meet the Prime Minister. Sukhbir Badal has held important constitutional positions, so there is nothing unusual about the meeting,” Dhillon said.
Both the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal have maintained that they intend to contest the next Assembly elections separately.
The BJP and SAD governed Punjab together from 1997–2002, 2007–2012 and 2012–2017. Their decades-old alliance ended in 2020 over differences on the now-repealed farm laws, following which both parties have pursued independent political strategies in the state.
