E-Paper
Solo contest or ‘big brother’ role: Where does BJP-SAD ‘alliance’ stand ahead of Punjab elections?
SAD had been part of the NDA alliance since 1997 and walked out of the partnership in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws.
Prefer HTon Google
Buzz over a possible alliance between the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) grew on Tuesday amid reports of the former set to assume a “big brother” role if the two parties formed an alliance for the 2027 Assembly elections in Punjab.
A day after BJP's national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh clarified that the party would be contesting all 117 seats in Punjab independently, several political leaders were asked about reports claiming that the BJP could assume a “big brother” role if the partnership ended up happening. India Today had reported that the BJP-SAD alliance was in the final stages and that the BJP could assume the ‘big brother’ role.
SAD walked out of its partnership with the BJP-led NDA in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws, ending a 23-year alliance that began in 1997.
SAD reacts to alliance speculation
Several political leaders, including from the SAD, Congress and AAP, reacted to the alliance buzz.
SAD Vice President Sanjiv Talwar told news agency ANI that the final decisions rested in the hands of Sukhbir Singh Badal, but also shared his personal view on the matter: “The people of Punjab rightly feel that there is only one alliance capable of ousting the current government—an alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP”
The SAD official however also said that if at all the alliance happens, it would be based on specific issues and would carry a shared agenda. On reports of the BJP assuming a “big brother” role in the partnership, Talwar said: “I don't think the question of who is the 'big partner' or 'small partner' will even arise.”
‘BJP is going to get zero seats’
The ruling AAP also downplayed the BJP-SAD alliance buzz, asserting that the BJP would get “zero seats” no matter how it decides to contest the polls.
“Whether it plays the role of an elder brother or a younger brother, whether they contest 117 seats or 17 seats, BJP is going to get zero seats in Punjab. Let me tell you this in advance,” Punjab Minister Tarunpreet Singh told ANI.
AAP leader Baltej Pannu on the other hand took a dig at SAD, claiming that the party was completely decimated in Punjab. “...In politics, it is the people themselves who decide who the 'big brother' is and who the 'younger brother' is; the parties do not make this decision...The Akali Dal (Badal) has been politically decimated in Punjab. Everyone knows what happened to them in 2017 and 2022. They are ready to do anything to save the reputation of the Badal family in the Assembly,” he said.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also reacted to the alliance buzz. “The ground reality is that BJP supporters do not vote for the Akali Dal, and similarly, Akali Dal supporters do not vote for the BJP. So, Congress is not affected by either the BJP or SAD in the Punjab polls,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Where does BJP stand on the alliance?
Speculation around a possible BJP-SAD alliance continues despite the BJP's clarification that it would contest the Punjab elections independently. “The BJP is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP will contest all 117 assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,” BL Santosh was quoted as saying in BJP's official statement.
During a meeting with party workers in Patiala, he didn't mention any alliance talks and only urged members to work towards securing a victory for the BJP.
Buzz over PM Modi-Sukhbir Badal
Speculation of the former allies reuniting first emerged earlier this month, after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
However, Badal had declined to comment on any such political moves after the meeting and had told reporters that he had met the PM to “discuss issues pertaining to Punjab”.
