BJP and SAD Negotiate Alliance for 2027 Punjab Election

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are conducting seat-sharing negotiations to potentially renew a political partnership for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. The two parties ended a 24-year alliance in September 2020 following disputes over central government agriculture laws.

Negotiations intensified in November 2026, beginning with a meeting in New Delhi on November 13 between SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This followed an August discussion between Badal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While Shah has predicted an NDA government in Punjab in 2027, internal friction persists within the BJP. Senior leader Harjit Singh Grewal noted that veteran party workers oppose the reunion, and some BJP leaders have indicated they will no longer serve as a junior partner.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has remained guarded, stating he is open to alliances with parties that accept his party's philosophy, though he explicitly excludes the Congress and the AAP. A formal announcement regarding the alliance is expected by the end of November, coinciding with a November 17 visit to Chandigarh by C R Patil, the BJP's Punjab election in-charge.