Despite ‘going solo’ statements, BJP and Akalis continue alliance talks

Santhosh was addressing the state BJP’s zonal meeting in Ludhiana, which was attended by party leaders and workers from Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon, Moga, Ropar and Malerkotla districts. “Driving the AAP out of Punjab and saving the state is the BJP’s resolve,” he said.

‘Backroom talks on’

Despite Santhosh’s pitch for the BJP’s solo run in the upcoming Punjab elections, the party’s backroom discussions for an alliance with the Sukhbir Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are continuing, insiders in the central BJP said.

“The discussions between the two parties are taking place at various levels, but not between the top leaders yet. We can announce a formal electoral alliance only after a final deal is clinched,” said a senior BJP leader. “The mutual interests as well as compulsions could be the driving factor for both the sides to make efforts to stitch up an alliance which would be formidable,” the leader said.

Party insiders pointed out that while the Akali Dal, which has been grappling with various challenges ranging from massive erosion in its support base to internal rebellion, are “desperate” to forge an alliance with the BJP, the latter is also conscious of the point that “it cannot win power in the border state without a formidable partner”.

With the SAD facing multiple crises, Badals are said to be “keen” to join hands with the BJP again. “Amid growing disquiet in his party, Sukhbir Badal really wants an alliance with BJP. Fighting alone in the 2027 elections would be a disaster for his party and its future,” said a BJP leader.

The rise of Khadoor Sahib MP and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) chief Amritpal Singh, who has been lodged in a jail in Assam’s Dibrugarh, has also posed a challenge to Badals, with a chunk of panthic votes, which forms the core base of the SAD, likely to shift to the former, BJP sources said.

The buzz about a renewed alignment between the BJP and the Akali Dal intensified earlier this month when Sukhbir met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi during the just concluded monsoon session of Parliament.

BJP sources admitted that there are differences in the party on the alliance question, with one section arguing this would not help the BJP as “the Akali votes are not likely to be transferred to the party”.

“Even if we form the alliance, a section of Akali leaders preparing for elections may switch to the radical Akali Dal (WPD) in the seats the SAD would offer to the BJP. If the BJP contests the polls alone, we would be able to win more than 25 seats – in the Lok Sabha elections, we were in a comfortable position in about 30 seats,” said a BJP leader.

While the SAD has only one Lok Sabha MP – Harsimrat Kaur Badal – the BJP is seeking her support as part of the Modi government’s bid to muster a two-thirds majority to push a fresh constitutional amendment Bill for advancing the implementation of the women’s reservation law to 2029 – along with a delimitation Bill for expansion of the Lok Sabha from 543 MPs up to 850 – which was defeated in the Lower House in the April special session.

“The BJP would like to have the SAD’s support for the delimitation-linked constitutional amendment Bill. Each vote counts for our reform push,” said a party source.

Harsimrat has so far maintained equidistance from both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led Opposition in the House.

The SAD, one of the BJP’s oldest allies, had walked out of the NDA as well as the Modi government in September 2020 during the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed central agricultural laws.

The Akali Dal and the BJP had contested the 2022 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls separately in Punjab, with both the parties facing debacles in them.

BJP’s game plan

A Punjab BJP leader said during the zonal party meeting in Ludhiana, Santhosh outined a roadmap for the party ahead of the Assembly polls. “The focus was on strengthening every booth. If there are 50 families in a booth, workers have been asked to reach out to each of them and explain the achievements of PM Modi,” the leader said.

BJP sources said the state leaders were asked to use data and compare the performances of the party-ruled Haryana and the AAP-ruled Punjab.

Former Union minister Ravneet Bittu, who attended the Ludhiana meeting, said, “Booth strengthening is the base of winning an election. We have been given a programme till November by Santhosh ji and we are going solo in 2027.”

State BJP spokesman Pritpal Singh Baliawal said, “As of now, the party has constituted the committees for over 15,000 booths. We will complete it in the remaining 10,000 booths by September 30. Discussions were also held on strengthening teams at the mandal (circle) and sub-circle levels. We are now in poll mode.”

Bittu said: “The party would also focus on connecting people with programmes such as Mann Ki Baat and explaining the benefits of central schemes including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Kisan and Ayushman Bharat. BJP’s poll rallies would begin from September 15, followed by a Nasha Mukti Yatra across Punjab.” Sources said Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to join this yatra.

“The BJP has conducted surveys in both rural and urban areas of Punjab. One thing that has emerged clearly is that people want badlaav (change), and this time the BJP will be that change,” Bittu claimed.

On the question of the BJP-SAD alignment, a state BJP leader said, “The alliance doors are always open, but as of now we are going solo. Look at the extensive programme being planned in every booth, mandal and district.”

The newly appointed BJP national general secretary in charge of Punjab, Satish Poonia, is likely to visit Punjab next week.