Anticipation mounts in Punjab as talks between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) draw close to a resolution, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday indicating that a decision is imminent within the next two-three days.
Shah, in an interview in New Delhi, said: “We are currently in negotiations with both parties, and all aspects are under consideration.” Shah highlighted the significance of the forthcoming alliance in Punjab, stating, “We aim for the consolidation of all NDA partners, ensuring a strong representation.”
The Home Minister dismissed any notion of discord between BJP and SAD, attributing delays to the necessity of ensuring equitable representation for BJP and due respect for party workers.
Meanwhile, sources within both parties suggest that negotiations have reached their final stages with seat-sharing agreements proving to be a sticking point. Agreement has yet to be reached on the allocation of seats between the two parties, with discussions revolving around six-eight constituencies, including that of Chandigarh.
Among the seats BJP seeking in Punjab include Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib, Gurdaspur out of total 13 in Punjab, along with Chandigarh. While BJP has been contesting on three seats — Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur — under coalition with SAD, it is seeking two more seats of Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib this time.
Apart from seat-sharing, SAD has also been cautious in light of ongoing farmer protests and the issue of release of Sikh detainees — the two factors influencing Akali Dal’s approach to negotiations.
The political landscape in Punjab has seen a significant shift since 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP and SAD jointly contested and secured victory in four constituencies. However, differences emerged over agricultural laws, leading both parties to contest separately in 2022 elections.
The alliance between the two lasted for 25 years in Punjab. On June 13, 2021, SAD and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) announced their alliance for the assembly elections, with SAD contesting on 97 seats and BSP on 20 seats.
Meanwhile, on December 28, 2021, Punjab BJP formed an alliance with Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and SAD (United) for the assembly elections. However, both SAD and BJP suffered losses. Nevertheless, BJP has now strengthened its organization in Punjab, with several individuals—including former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar, Preneet Kaur, Manpreet Singh Badal, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, among several others — joining the party under the leadership of Jakhar, the head of Punjab BJP. This realignment has further underscored the importance of the upcoming alliance.
Even though Capt Amarinder has already declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections, his MP wife Preneet Kaur — who has recently gave up “hand” to hold “lotus” — is expected to seek re-election from Patiala as BJP candidate. Additionally, retired IFS officer Taranjit Singh Sidhu, who joined BJP a day before, could be party’s candidate from Amritsar.
