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Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) leader Bibi Jagir Kaur on Tuesday hinted that her party could consider a tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, provided the saffron party addresses core panthic (Sikh religious and community) concerns.
Speaking to the media during a party event in Chandigarh, the women’s wing chief of the Akali faction said political mobilisation has already begun with an eye on the 2027 elections and the party is working to strengthen its organisational base.
“A possible understanding with the BJP cannot be ruled out, but any such move hinges on the resolution of Punjab-centric and panthic issues, including government interference in religious matters and release of Sikh prisoners, to name a few,” said Kaur, who has remained Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president thrice.
Once a loyalist of the Badals, Kaur, who served as a minister in the SAD-BJP government from 2007 to 2012, was long seen as the party’s prominent women’s face before falling out with Sukhbir Badal and joining the rebel Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjeet), formed on August 11, 2025.
The Akali faction, following a split from the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD, emerged from the Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (reform movement).
{{/usCountry}}The Akali faction, following a split from the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD, emerged from the Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (reform movement).
{{/usCountry}}Kaur added that efforts are underway to stitch a broader front of pro-Punjab forces before the state polls.
“Talks have been initiated with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Our talks on an alliance with Waris Punjab De, led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, are in the final stage,” Kaur said.
The BJP had been a junior partner of the SAD in Punjab since the two parties forged a pre-election alliance in 1996. Both contested five assembly polls and all Lok Sabha polls together until 2021, when their long-standing pact ruptured over the Akali Dal’s opposition to the now-repealed three farm laws enacted by the BJP-led Union government, in which Akalis were a coalition partner. The two parties contested the 2022 assembly polls separately and ended up with their all-time low representation in the 117-member House. While the SAD won three seats, the BJP managed only two.
Kaur also flagged the long-pending elections of the SGPC, noting that 16 years have passed since the last polls, which were traditionally held every five years. “SGPC elections must be conducted at the earliest,” she asserted.
On the state government’s anti-sacrilege legislation, Kaur opposed attempts to regulate matters of faith through statutory frameworks.
Referring to the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib, she said it is inappropriate to bind it within worldly laws.
Targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kaur alleged contradictions in its approach. “On one hand, the government claims to be serving the people through the sacrilege law, while on the other, it is seeking political mileage through ‘thanksgiving yatra’,” she said.
Kaur also reiterated her opposition to the use of the National Security Act (NSA) against Amritpal Singh and argued that any alleged wrongdoing, including the Ajnala police station incident, should have been dealt with under regular legal provisions within Punjab. “Instead, he was detained under the NSA and lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail. Even after the NSA was reportedly withdrawn, he has not been brought back to Punjab,” she said.
Separately, Kaur said that she has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill. She called for ensuring 33% reservation for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and demanded that the quota be increased to 50%.