The possibility of a BJP-SAD alliance has again become a major talking point ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The two parties were long-time allies before their relationship broke down in 2020 over the farm laws and while there has been renewed speculation about the two parties coming together, seat sharing remains one of the biggest issues that could determine whether an alliance actually takes shape.
The BJP’s position has changed significantly since its earlier alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. Under the old arrangement, the SAD was the dominant partner and the BJP generally contested around 23 Assembly seats, but BJP is now seeking a substantially larger role in Punjab politics and recent reports have indicated that the party has been seeking around 50 to 60 seats in possible seat-sharing discussions.
At the same time, BJP national general secretary BL Santosh recently said that the party would contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and this public position has added another layer to the uncertainty surrounding a possible alliance.
The seat-sharing question becomes particularly complicated because both parties have established political faces in constituencies across Punjab.
One example is Parampal Kaur Sidhu, daughter-in-law of veteran SAD leader Sikander Singh Maluka, who joined the BJP in 2024 along with her husband, Gurpreet Singh Maluka. Parampal Kaur was subsequently fielded by the BJP from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general election and she received 1,10,762 votes, while SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal won the seat.
Bathinda is particularly significant for the Badal family. Harsimrat Kaur Badal has represented the Bathinda parliamentary seat, while her husband and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has traditionally contested the Jalalabad Assembly constituency. Sukhbir won Jalalabad in 2009, 2012 and 2017, but lost the seat in the 2022 Assembly election.
The Maluka family also has an established political base in the Bathinda region. Sikander Singh Maluka has been associated with the Rampura Phul Assembly constituency and was a minister in the previous SAD-BJP government and his son Gurpreet Singh Maluka and daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur later joined the BJP.
Another prominent BJP figure with an established constituency is Kewal Singh Dhillon, who is currently the Punjab BJP president. Dhillon is a former MLA from Barnala, having won the Assembly seat in 2007 and 2012. He later joined the BJP and contested the Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election in 2022 and hs appointment as Punjab BJP chief in May 2026 was seen as part of the party's strategy to strengthen its Sikh and Jat Sikh outreach ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Anandpur Sahib region is another area where the BJP has multiple established political aspirants. Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a senior BJP leader and former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, contested the Rupnagar Assembly seat in 2022 and his son, Ajayvir Singh Lalpura, has also been active in the Anandpur Sahib-Rupnagar belt and has been identified as a potential BJP aspirant in the region.
Recent reporting has also highlighted BJP leader Subhash Sharma's work in Anandpur Sahib ahead of the next Assembly election.
In the Majha region, Tarn Taran is another constituency where the BJP has its own electoral presence. In the 2022 Assembly election, BJP fielded Navreet Singh Hundal from Tarn Taran and he finished behind the winning AAP candidate and Congress candidate.
In the 2025 Tarn Taran by-election, BJP again fielded a candidate, Harjit Singh Sandhu.
The same applies to former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Patiala has been his political stronghold for decades and he has contested Patiala Urban in the 2022 Assembly election as the Punjab Lok Congress candidate in an alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt), but lost to AAP's Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.
Amarinder had earlier won the seat four times, in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017.
These examples illustrate why seat distribution could become complicated if BJP and SAD decide to revive their alliance and both parties now have leaders, former candidates and political networks that could seek the same constituencies.
For the BJP, a smaller seat share could create a problem of accommodating its growing pool of aspirants, including leaders who have entered the party from Congress and SAD, and for the SAD, conceding a large number of constituencies would mean giving up seats where it has historically maintained organisational structures and established candidates, therefore, the question is not simply whether BJP and SAD can benefit from combining their votes. The bigger question is who gets to contest where.
With 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab, even a difference of a few dozen seats could significantly affect the political space available to leaders of both parties and until the two sides find a mutually acceptable formula on seat sharing and other issues, speculation over an alliance is likely to continue, for now, the BJP's publicly stated position is that it is prepared to contest all 117 seats independently, even as reports continue to suggest that discussions with the SAD have taken place.