CHANDIGARH — As discussions advance toward reviving the electoral partnership between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) roughly five months before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, vocal opposition has emerged from within the BJP’s veteran ranks, exposing an internal divide between longtime party loyalists and leaders inducted from rival outfits.
Senior BJP leader and National Commission for Minorities Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal confirmed the differing viewpoints within the state unit, noting that while newer entrants from other parties support renewing ties with the Akali Dal, the party’s traditional cadre favors building an independent political base. While maintaining that any final decision rests with the central leadership, Grewal emphasized that grassroots workers who have served the organization for decades want to strengthen the BJP’s ideological presence across Punjab rather than depend on coalition arrangements.
Internal Discontent and Seat-Sharing Negotiations
The two parties, which severed their long-standing alliance in 2020 over agricultural legislation that was subsequently withdrawn, are aiming to finalize a fresh seat-sharing agreement across Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies by the end of November:
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Criticism of Current Akali Leadership: Grewal drew a pointed distinction between the late former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the SAD’s current leadership under Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He stated that whereas the senior Badal’s political vision enabled the Akali Dal to form state governments, the party under its present leadership has seen its political footprint contract to just a few districts.
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Fears of Cadre Marginalization: Political analysts observe that the BJP’s foundational workers experienced renewed autonomy and a growing vote share after contesting independently post-2020. With several key organizational roles—including that of state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon—now occupied by former Congress leaders, party veterans worry that entering an alliance with Sukhbir Singh Badal as the projected chief ministerial face would once again sideline original cadre members.
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Higher Seat Allocation Target: Guided by constituency-level evaluations led by strategist C. R. Patil, the BJP is expected to push for a substantial increase in its seat share—seeking between 40 and 45 constituencies compared to the 23 seats it contested under earlier alliance formulas.
Ground Mobilization and Rival Reactions
Even as negotiations continue, both parties are intensifying organizational outreach across the state, drawing dismissive remarks from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP):
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Targeted Booth Strategy: Following a November 13 strategy meeting in Chandigarh chaired by RSS joint general secretary Arun Kumar, the BJP is focusing its booth-level mobilization on roughly 6,000 booths won during the 2022 assembly polls, alongside nearly 5,900 booths where its candidates lost by margins of under 100 votes.
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Akali Dal Restructuring: Sukhbir Singh Badal has summoned senior colleagues to Chandigarh to evaluate candidate adjustments and organize a major public rally in Moga on December 8—its first in five years—while initiatives are underway to re-induct senior leader Bibi Jagir Kaur into the party.
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Chief Minister’s Response: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann brushed aside the electoral threat of a revived BJP-SAD coalition, stating that the alliance would have minimal influence on the state’s political outcome.
