Sukhbir Badal meets PM Modi amid Punjab election buzz and SAD-BJP alliance talk
Synopsis
For the first time since the SAD's dramatic NDA exit over farm laws in 2020, Sukhbir Badal has walked into the Prime Minister's office — and nobody is officially calling it an alliance meeting. With the SAD reduced to 3 seats and BJP eyeing all 117, the power balance between the once-inseparable partners has shifted dramatically. What happens next in Punjab could redefine both parties' electoral futures in the state.
Key Takeaways
Sukhbir Singh Badal met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 7 August , raising Punjab's law and order situation.
Speculation is mounting over a SAD-BJP pre-poll alliance ahead of Punjab elections, though no formal announcement has been made.
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said the party plans to contest all 117 seats alone, while leaving the door open.
The SAD exited the NDA in September 2020 over the three farm laws, ending a nearly two-decade coalition with the BJP.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls , the SAD was reduced to just 3 seats — its worst-ever result in the 117-seat house.
The SAD, which celebrated its centennial in 2021 , is facing what observers call its deepest structural and organisational crisis.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, 7 August, with Punjab's law and order situation topping the agenda — even as speculation over a possible pre-poll alliance between the two parties intensified ahead of state elections.
What Was Discussed
According to a senior Akali leader, the conversation between Badal and Modi centred squarely on Punjab, with Badal raising concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the state. 'Even PM heard all our concerns,' the senior Akali leader said. No formal statement was issued by either side following the meeting.
BJP's Measured Response
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon was careful to keep expectations in check. 'Any senior leader can meet the PM. Sukhbir Singh Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister. I am happy that he must have spoken for the good of Punjab. We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone. A major joining is going to happen,' Dhillon said. The remarks signal that the BJP is not yet publicly committing to a seat-sharing arrangement.
A Complicated Recent History
The meeting carries significant political weight given the fractured recent history between the two parties. At his rally in Jalandhar on 17 July, PM Modi had attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government while also directing criticism at the Congress and the SAD. A day later, Badal claimed the Prime Minister's remarks were directed not at his party but at a rival Akali faction — a distinction that underscored the ambiguity of the current relationship.
SAD's Deepening Crisis
The Shiromani Akali Dal, which marked its centennial in 2021, is navigating what observers describe as its worst crisis — 'structurally, organisationally, and even in terms of ideological leadership.' A mass exodus of leaders, including veterans, has hollowed out the party's organisational base. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, voters rejected the SAD for a second consecutive term, reducing its legislative strength to just 3 seats in the 117-member Assembly, down from 15 seats in the 2017-22 term — the lowest tally in the party's history.
Decades of Alliance, Then a Break
The SAD was among the BJP's oldest allies, having been one of the first parties to back Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 13-day government in 1996 — the shortest Prime Ministerial stint in India's history. The two parties governed Punjab together for nearly two decades. That partnership ended abruptly in September 2020, when the SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over sharp differences on the three controversial farm laws, which have since been repealed. Whether Friday's meeting signals a revival of that alliance — or remains a courtesy call — will become clearer as Punjab's election schedule firms up.
Point of View
Yet the SAD's symbolic weight in Sikh politics remains real — and the BJP knows it. The BJP's public position of contesting all 117 seats alone is a negotiating posture, not a final word. If an alliance does materialise, the terms will reveal just how much the 2020 farm-law rupture has permanently altered the power equation. The harder question mainstream coverage is missing: can the SAD recover enough organisational strength to be a useful partner, or is the BJP simply absorbing its voter base while keeping the door formally ajar?
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sukhbir Badal meet PM Modi on 7 August?
Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 7 August primarily to raise concerns about Punjab's law and order situation. The meeting also fuelled speculation about a possible pre-poll alliance between the SAD and BJP ahead of Punjab elections.
Is the SAD-BJP alliance confirmed for the Punjab elections?
No formal alliance has been announced. Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said the party intends to contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone, though he acknowledged Badal's right to meet the Prime Minister. Speculations of a pre-poll tie-up remain unconfirmed.
Why did the SAD break away from the BJP-led NDA?
The Shiromani Akali Dal exited the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in September 2020 over the three controversial farm laws introduced by the Centre. The farm laws have since been repealed, but the political fallout between the two parties has lingered.
How did the SAD perform in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections?
The SAD suffered its worst-ever electoral result in 2022, winning just 3 seats in the 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly — a sharp fall from the 15 seats it held in the 2017-22 term. Voters rejected the party for a second consecutive term.
What is the historical relationship between the SAD and BJP?
The SAD was one of the BJP's oldest and closest allies, having supported Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government as far back as 1996. The two parties governed Punjab together for nearly two decades before the alliance collapsed in September 2020 over the farm laws dispute.
