The wedding celebrations of former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s daughter in Chandigarh and Delhi have brought the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) back into the political spotlight, with a photograph of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal posing with senior BJP leaders triggering fresh speculation about a possible alliance ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The photograph, taken at the wedding reception of Manpreet Singh Badal’s daughter Rhea, shows Sukhbir Singh Badal alongside former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, former Union Minister Vijay Sampla and former MLA Jagdeep Nakai.
Also present in the photograph were BJP district presidents Jagbir Brar of Jalandhar Rural, Amarpal Singh Binu Ajnala of Amritsar Rural and Kuldeep Singh of Muktsar.
While the reception was a family gathering, the presence of the Akali Dal president alongside several senior BJP leaders has acquired political significance amid renewed discussions about the possibility of the two parties joining hands again.
The wedding celebrations have coincided with repeated remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the possibility of an NDA government in Punjab.
Shah first referred to an NDA government in Punjab on October 24 while addressing an event in Delhi related to Yamuna rejuvenation projects and he repeated the reference during a Chandigarh Administration function, mentioning an NDA government in Punjab in the opening lines of his speech.
The remarks have fuelled speculation about whether the BJP and SAD could revive their former alliance before the 2027 Assembly elections.
A senior BJP leader, when asked about the possibility of an alliance, said there were positive signs but did not provide further details, however, the parties have not announced any formal alliance.
The SAD and BJP were longstanding political partners in Punjab before separating in September 2020 over the Centre's now-repealed farm laws.
Since then, both parties have contested elections separately.
The wedding brought together political leaders from different parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
The reception was hosted at the residence of Jai Inder Kaur, daughter of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the wedding also brought together prominent political and royal families, including the Badal family of Punjab and the Dogra royal family of Jammu.
The wedding celebrations included an Anand Karaj at Harsimrat Kaur Badal's Delhi residence.
The gathering of political leaders from different parties, along with the photograph of Sukhbir Singh Badal with BJP leaders, has added to the political discussion surrounding the celebrations.
The possibility of an alliance is also being discussed in the context of electoral calculations and according to a BJP source, the party has prepared a list of potentially winnable Punjab Assembly seats along with the vote shares recorded in the 2022 Assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The source said the calculations suggested that the BJP and SAD could strengthen their electoral position if they contested together.
The BJP is also conducting booth-level analysis under the supervision of CR Patil, who is overseeing the party's Punjab election preparations.
The exercise is examining the electoral prospects of both parties if they contest separately and if they form an alliance.
A senior BJP leader said the combined vote share of the two parties could place them firmly in the electoral contest, however, the calculations remain part of an ongoing exercise.
The BJP is reportedly focusing on around 90 of Punjab's 117 Assembly seats while examining its electoral prospects.
However, the BJP's official position remains that it will contest all 117 Assembly seats.
The SAD's position on any possible seat-sharing arrangement has not been formally announced.
The BJP and SAD have not confirmed whether discussions on an alliance are underway.
The wedding reception has provided another occasion for leaders of the former allies to appear together at a public gathering, however, the photograph alone does not establish that the parties have reached an agreement.
The SAD and BJP remain separate political parties, and neither has officially announced an alliance for the 2027 elections.
With Amit Shah repeatedly referring to an NDA government in Punjab and the BJP conducting electoral calculations involving the SAD, the possibility of the two parties coming together has returned to political discussion.
Whether the bonhomie displayed at the wedding reception translates into an electoral understanding will depend on formal discussions, seat-sharing arrangements and decisions by the two parties, but for now, the wedding celebrations have brought the former allies into the same frame, both socially and politically, as Punjab's 2027 election preparations continue.