Chandigarh, Jun 11 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday brushed aside speculation about a possible alliance with the BJP for the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, saying that his focus was on strengthening his party.
Badal’s response came as many BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have been firm in contesting in all 117 assembly seats alone.
When asked whether the doors are open for joining hands with the BJP, Badal replied, “We aim to strengthen the Akali Dal, and we are working towards it. At present, there is no use in replying to ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.” On several occasions, the BJP leaders have declared their intentions to go solo in next year’s elections.
On Wednesday, BJP national spokesperson R P Singh said that the BJP was preparing to contest all 117 seats independently in 2027.
“Despite ongoing media speculation regarding a potential alliance with the Akali Dal, the reality on the ground is crystal clear: the BJP is preparing to contest all 117 seats independently in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. This is not a matter of speculation but a declared political position,” he said on X.
“Over the last few years, the BJP has steadily emerged as an independent political force in Punjab, expanding its organisation across regions, communities, and demographics,” Singh added.
During the BJP’s massive rally in Moga in March, Shah unequivocally stated that the BJP would fight the Punjab Assembly elections on its own strength.
Amid speculation over a possible revival of the SAD-BJP alliance, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the “coming together” of the two parties reflects a desperate bid to regain political power after being repeatedly rejected by the people of Punjab.
“The SAD-BJP alliance was not being forged for public welfare or any shared ideology but to revive the politics that had harmed Punjab through the patronage of the drug menace, anti-farmer policies and divisive agendas,” Mann had said.
The Shiromani Akali Dal parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance in September 2020 over the three contentious farm laws, which were later repealed.
In the 2022 assembly polls, the BJP won two seats while the SAD suffered its worst-ever electoral performance, winning just three seats. PTI CHS KSI KSI
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