Amid SAD-BJP tie-up buzz, Punjab sees multi-directional political churn

Jagmeet Singh Brar, a former Congress MP who defeated Sukhbir Singh Badal from Faridkot in 1999, had joined SAD in 2019 but was expelled in October 2022. He had served as the party’s senior vice-president and contested unsuccessfully from the Maur Assembly seat.

On the same day, Charanjit Singh Brar, a former political advisor to then Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, also joined the BJP. Expelled from SAD in 2022 following the party’s poor Assembly performance, he had aligned with the rebel SAD Punarsurjit faction led by Giani Harpreet Singh and had called for a leadership change within the party. He is now actively engaged in BJP’s organisational work.

Flowing both ways

However, movement has not been unidirectional. On February 15, former BJP state vice-president Arvind Khanna returned to the SAD along with a BJP district president and several municipal councillors from Sangrur. Khanna’s political trajectory—from Youth Akali Dal in 1997 to Congress, then a break from politics, followed by a stint in BJP in 2022 before returning to SAD — illustrates the shifting loyalties shaping Punjab’s political landscape.

The most significant churn, however, has been within the Akali fold. In early March, Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan, the Hoshiarpur constituency in-charge of SAD Punarsurjit, rejoined the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD along with several leaders of the rebel faction. This was followed by the return of Barjinder Singh alias Makhan Brar, son of former minister Tota Singh, on April 7.

Makhan Brar was blunt in his assessment, stating that SAD Punarsurjit “was formed to weaken the oldest regional party”. Before his return, former minister Baldev Singh Mann and former MP Bibi Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal had already rejoined SAD. The party has projected these developments as evidence of the weakening of the rebel camp.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal reinforced this narrative, calling Makhan Brar’s return the “virtual end” of the rebel faction, often referred to by him as the “Chullah Dal”. Brar, in turn, urged Punjabis to remain “vigilant against stooges of agencies” allegedly working to weaken SAD.

BJP’s Panthic outreach

At the same time, the BJP has been steadily expanding its outreach among panthic and Akali-linked leaders. On March 30, SGPC member and SAD national vice-president Charanjit Singh Kalewal, along with SAD national vice-president Ramandeep Singh Bharowal and Akali leader Avtar Singh Ramewal, joined the BJP.

Welcoming them, BJP leader Ashwani Sharma said their “experience, grassroots connect, and commitment to panthic values” would help the party expand base.

The BJP’s outreach extended further on April 1, when former AAP MLA and senior Supreme Court advocate H S Phoolka joined the party. Phoolka had earlier expressed his intention in December 2024 to join SAD as part of a membership drive initiated following a directive from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. However, factionalism and the emergence of splinter groups like SAD Punarsurjit appear to have derailed that move.

The BJP’s engagement with Akali-linked leadership predates the current phase. In December 2021, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Harmeet Singh Kalka joined the party from Akali ranks in Delhi. In Punjab, the trend has intensified since 2024, with leaders such as Ravikaran Singh Kahlon — who joined the BJP in May 2024 after expulsion from the SAD — and Jagdeep Singh Cheema, who switched in October 2025, reinforcing the pattern.

Yet, the SAD has simultaneously been reclaiming ground, not only from the rebel faction but also from BJP. Mohan Lal Banga, a two-time MLA from the Doaba belt and son of former BJP minister Chaudhary Swarna Ram, joined the SAD from BJP in March 2026. Ludhiana-based BJP leader Amit Gosain, son of former minister Satpal Gosain, also made a similar move.

BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal sought to frame the trend as a sign of growing support, stating that the influx of panthic leaders showed that “only BJP can save Punjab.”

However, the parallel stream of “ghar wapsi” into the SAD and the visible weakening of the rebel faction suggest a more layered reality. Even as alliance talks continue behind closed doors, leaders on the ground appear to be hedging their bets and repositioning themselves ahead of future electoral contests.

Defiant rebels

Leaders of the rebel faction, however, remain defiant. SAD Punarsurjit president Giani Harpreet Singh said he would “never stand” with the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD, dismissing allegations against him and countering criticism from returning leaders.

Meanwhile, Manpreet Singh Ayali, a rebel SAD MLA who moved to SAD Punarsurjit and is now associated with SAD (Waris Punjab De), argued that the focus should be on “panthic unity”. He suggested that once such unity is achieved, the relevance of individual factions, including the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, would diminish.

While political signals at the top hint at possible convergence, the steady movement of leaders across parties points to a fragmented and competitive landscape, one in which alignments remain fluid and far from settled.