CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, igniting speculation about the possibility of the Punjab based party joining NDA, ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections.
It may be recalled that Badal had met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini a few days ago leading to his meeting with the PM.
The meeting comes at a time when political activity in Punjab is intensifying. Both the BJP and the SAD have repeatedly maintained that they will contest the Assembly elections independently. Neither party has issued an official statement on the meeting.
Sources close to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal described it as an informal meeting but did not disclose the details of the discussions.
Political observers believe the leaders may have discussed issues related to Punjab, including the law and order situation, recurring paper leak cases, the growing drug menace and other governance challenges.
The meeting also comes as both parties are facing internal challenges. The Punjab BJP has witnessed differences among senior leaders, with former minister Tikshan Sud openly expressing dissatisfaction with the state leadership.
The SAD is also dealing with organisational challenges and factionalism after several senior leaders joined the SAD Punar Surjit faction. Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, is now being steered by rebel SAD MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, who is working to expand the outfit's influence in rural Punjab.
Party sources said the current political situation, including infighting in the Congress, could favour an alliance between the BJP and the SAD ahead of the Assembly elections.
However, both parties have consistently ruled out the possibility of an alliance. During his Punjab visit in June, BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the party would contest all 117 Assembly seats on its own. Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon also made similar remarks.
Sukhbir Badal has also repeatedly said the SAD is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly constituencies independently.
Senior SAD leader and former cabinet minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said it was too early to draw conclusions from the meeting. `` The details of the meeting have not been shared yet. If something significant was discussed, Sukhbir would have shared the same during the core committee meeting. As the meeting has taken place, naturally the issues relating to the state and how misrule of AAP has ruined Punjab would have been discussed," Grewal added.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal was the first to react to the meeting. "Are the two parties coming together? ‘’ he posted on X.
The BJP and the SAD were alliance partners for more than two decades and formed governments in Punjab from 1997 to 2002, 2007 to 2012 and 2012 to 2017. Their 23-year alliance ended in September 2020 over differences on the now-repealed farm laws.
Since then, the two parties have contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections separately. However, periodic meetings between senior leaders have continued to fuel speculation about a possible revival of the alliance.