Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (reunited) faction is reportedly being brought into discussions over a possible pre-poll alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
According to sources, senior leaders of the reunited faction are being approached to discuss the possibility of contesting the 2027 elections together. There is, however, no clarity yet on the exact arrangement under which they could contest. Since the leaders left the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD on August 11, 2025, one possibility being discussed is that they could contest on the traditional ‘takkari’ (scales) election symbol of the Akali Dal.
Jagir Kaur, Wadala, Chandumajra among leaders approached
Sources said efforts are being made to bring senior leaders including Bibi Jagir Kaur, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Gobind Singh Longowal into the proposed broader alliance.
These leaders were part of the SAD during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when the Akali Dal was ahead of the BJP in around 49 Assembly segments, while the BJP led in the remaining seats.
The issue of the 10 senior Akali leaders who left Sukhbir Badal in 2025 is also expected to figure prominently in discussions over seat-sharing.
Other leaders from the faction include Justice Nirmal Singh, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Hardeep Singh Dhillon, Gur Iqbal Singh Mahal and Sukhwinder Sukhi.
Seat-sharing could be a key hurdle
The BJP reportedly believes that any pre-poll alliance should be based primarily on the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while the SAD wants the average performance across the last three election cycles to be considered — the 2022 Assembly elections, 2024 Lok Sabha elections and recent rural and urban local body elections.
The possibility of an alliance is being driven in part by the parties’ combined 31% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections — around 18.5% for the BJP and 13.5% for the SAD.
The BJP has officially maintained that it will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. However, sources indicate that behind the scenes, the party is exploring the possibility of an alliance with the Akali Dal ahead of the 2027 polls.
