Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly said that it is preparing to contest 2027 Punjab Assembly elections on its own and during BJP's "Badlav Rally" in Moga in March 2026 Union Home Minister Amit Shah signaled that the party would fight next Assembly elections independently and focus on issues such as drugs, economic challenges and religious conversions however recent statements from senior BJP leaders and party sources have once again triggered discussion about whether BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could come together before elections.
Top BJP sources recently said that while party is preparing to fight alone possibility of an alliance with SAD cannot be completely ruled out and according to BJP leaders, "in politics there is no closed chapter" and they also pointed out that SAD had ended alliance in 2020 during farm law controversy.
1. BJP's performance in recent local body elections
Recent Punjab civic body elections showed BJP lagging behind its main rivals and according to Punjab State Election Commission data AAP won 958 wards, Congress won 397, SAD won 192 and BJP won 172 wards and the results showed AAP maintaining a clear lead across state while BJP performed relatively better in some urban pockets such as Pathankot and Abohar the overall results highlighted challenge the party faces in expanding its support base before 2027 Assembly elections.
2. Questions about BJP's ability to win Punjab alone
Several BJP leaders themselves have publicly raised concerns about party's ability to form a government in Punjab without a strong alliance partner such as Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has repeatedly argued that BJP lacks sufficient grassroots organisation in Punjab to win on its own and has said that building such a cadre network could take two to three election cycles and that an alliance with SAD may be necessary if BJP wants to form a government in 2027.
Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has also spoken positively in past about the possibility of an alliance saying that such a move would reflect sentiments of many people in state.
3. BJP is still working to build a strong Punjab narrative
BJP has announced that it plans to focus on drugs, economic stagnation and conversions as major election issues however political observers believe party is still working to establish a stronger state specific narrative that connects with a wider section of Punjab voters and many voters continue to question whether BJP can emerge as a major standalone force in Punjab where regional political dynamics differ significantly from many other states.
4. Ground level workers want a reunion
Despite public differences discussions about a possible BJP SAD reunion have never completely disappeared as the two parties were allies for nearly three decades before SAD left alliance in 2020 over farm laws issue. Reports and statements from leaders suggest that some workers and leaders in both camps continue to believe that a combined BJP-SAD alliance could provide a stronger challenge to AAP and Congress in 2027 elections.
5. Avoiding a split in anti-AAP votes
Political analysts often point out that if BJP and SAD contest separately anti-AAP votes could be divided among multiple opposition parties and such a situation could potentially benefit ruling AAP in a multi-cornered contest and this is one of key reasons why alliance discussions continue to surface despite official statements about fighting independently.
Several challenges remain.
First BJP has inducted leaders from different parties over years including leaders who previously belonged to Congress, SAD and other political groups. Seat-sharing in any future alliance could create dissatisfaction among leaders expecting election tickets. Second seat-sharing itself remains a major issue because of disagreements over seat distribution. BJP leaders feel that being offered only a limited number of seats is not acceptable and reports suggest that if talks ever resume BJP may seek a significantly larger share of Assembly seats than it received during earlier alliance arrangements.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal recently mocked the possibility of a BJP-SAD alliance and alleged that BJP was trying to make drugs a major election issue while simultaneously exploring an understanding with SAD. While at the same time relations between two parties remain complicated. SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal has recently criticised several BJP-led government policies including issues relating to Women's Reservation Bill indicating that political differences still exist.
As of now BJP leaders continue to maintain that party is preparing to contest 2027 Punjab Assembly elections independently however recent comments from party sources statements from senior leaders such as Captain Amarinder Singh and continuing speculation within Punjab's political circles show that possibility of a BJP-SAD alliance has not completely disappeared.