Prime Minister Narendra Modi met SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Badal raised key Punjab issues including law and order, the drug menace, SGPC-related concerns, paper leaks, governance and alleged corruption during the meeting.
Political observers see the meeting as a significant step towards a possible alliance, despite official denials, following the 2020 split over the now-repealed farm laws.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, a former National Democratic Alliance ally, in a move seen as indicating an improvement in relations between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the SAD.
The high-level meeting comes as political activity in Punjab gathers pace ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. For months, the BJP has maintained that it intends to contest the polls independently, with senior leaders repeatedly asserting that the party is building its own organisational strength in the state rather than relying on former allies.
The official agenda of the Modi-Badal meeting has not been disclosed.
According to sources, Badal raised several Punjab-specific concerns during his meeting with the Prime Minister, including the state's deteriorating law and order situation, alleged interference in the functioning of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), examination paper leaks, the state's persistent drug problem and broader governance challenges and what he described as widespread corruption and “loot” in Punjab.
The Prime Minister is understood to have listened to the concerns raised.
Even so, sources in both the BJP and the Akali Dal have categorically denied that discussions on reviving the alliance took place or that an electoral partnership is imminent.
Yet the significance of the meeting has not gone unnoticed. According to sources, leaders from both parties have remained in contact in recent months, exploring areas of common concern on Punjab-related issues.
Despite official denials from both the BJP and the SAD, speculation remains rife that alliance talks could be taken up at another meeting of senior leaders.
“From the BJP, it is likely that the second meeting will take place over the next few days. The party's top brass, including a former party president, is expected to be part of it. From the SAD, either of the top two leaders will attend,” said the source.
There is talk within the BJP circles that an alliance with SAD could shore up numbers as the party holds significant control over the dominant Jatt Sikh community in the state.
While both parties continue to publicly dismiss the prospect of an alliance, political observers believe the dialogue could gather momentum as the Assembly election draws closer. Any formal decision, however, is likely to depend on the evolving political landscape in Punjab.
The meeting is also being closely watched for any indication of whether the BJP and the 105-year-old SAD are willing to rebuild ties after the collapse of their decades-long partnership over the now-repealed farm laws.
There has been no official statement on the meeting at the time of publication.
The BJP-SAD alliance emerged formally in 1997 as Punjab emerged from militancy. The coalition united the Akali Dal's rural Sikh support base with the BJP's urban Hindu electorate.
The partnership proved electorally successful, delivering a landslide victory in 1997 before returning to power for two consecutive terms in 2007 and 2012. The 1997-2002 government also marked the first time an Akali-led administration completed a full five-year term in Punjab.
SAD withdrew from the alliance in 2020 after the Centre enacted the three contentious farm laws, sparking widespread protests across Punjab.
Facing pressure from its traditional support base, the Shiromani Akali Dal exited the National Democratic Alliance, prompting Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal to resign from the Cabinet. Despite several efforts to mend ties following the repeal of the farm laws, the two parties have yet to achieve a breakthrough.
