Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal met in Parliament, prompting renewed political discussions in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The meeting has been linked to speculation about a possible alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal, although neither party has officially confirmed any new political arrangement.
According to the Shiromani Akali Dal, the meeting covered the law-and-order situation in Punjab, corruption and other important issues concerning the state. The party said matters related to the interests of Punjab were placed before the Prime Minister.
Following the meeting, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal reacted on social media platform X and questioned whether the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal were preparing to form an alliance again. In his post, Kejriwal commented politically on the two parties and raised the possibility of an electoral agreement.
Neither the BJP nor the Shiromani Akali Dal has officially responded to Kejriwal's statement.
The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal were alliance partners in Punjab for around 25 years. In 2020, during the period of the farm laws and the farmers' movement, the Akali Dal decided to withdraw from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Subsequently, the two parties contested Assembly and Lok Sabha elections separately.
Discussions about the two parties coming together again have emerged periodically in political circles in recent times. However, the BJP's state and central leadership have repeatedly said that the party is preparing to contest elections in Punjab on its own. The Akali Dal, on the other hand, has also publicly denied the possibility of an alliance.
With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, major political parties have begun working on their strategies. The meeting between Modi and Sukhbir Badal has added to discussions about the political strategy ahead of the elections. So far, there has been no official confirmation of any new alliance or electoral agreement between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal.
