Sukhbir Badal Hints at Rejoining BJP-Led NDA, Identifies AAP and Congress as Main Rivals

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-23 13:40:00

In a major political development that could reshape Punjab’s electoral landscape ahead of next year's assembly elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday strongly hinted at a potential reunion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Addressing reporters in Chandigarh following a formal delegation meeting with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, the former deputy chief minister stated that the Akali Dal remains ready to join forces with "like-minded" political forces to secure the broader interests and economic recovery of Punjab. Directing his sharpest criticisms at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, Badal identified both outfits as the state's principal political adversaries, signaling an open pathway toward reviving one of India's oldest regional coalitions ahead of crucial state polls.

Alliance Speculations Surge: Badal Meets Governor Kataria and Signals NDA Realignment

The Akali Dal leadership's remarks come amid weeks of escalating political buzz regarding an impending center-right consolidation in northern India:

Open Call for Like-Minded Front: While intentionally avoiding naming the BJP directly during the press briefing, Sukhbir Singh Badal categorically maintained that SAD is prepared to establish a common front with like-minded parties for Punjab's welfare, a phrase widely recognized in political circles as an explicit overture toward the NDA leadership.

Isolating AAP and Congress: Labeling both the ruling Bhagwant Mann administration and the opposition Congress as the twin forces responsible for administrative decay and lawlessness, Badal positioned an Akali-led coalition as the singular alternative capable of providing stability.

Preceding High-Level Deliberations: The overture builds upon Badal’s unannounced meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi this past August, where discussions regarding Punjab’s economic climate and border security had initially reignited alliance speculation.

Tumultuous History: The 2020 Farm Law Rupture and Ensuing Electoral Setbacks

A renewed SAD-BJP partnership would mend a historic 24-year alliance that suffered a bitter breakup over agrarian policies:

The September 2020 Separation: One of the founding partnerships of the National Democratic Alliance unraveled in September 2020, when the Akali Dal formally walked out of the union cabinet and the NDA in protest against the Centre’s three contentious agricultural reform legislations.

The 2022 Assembly Debacle: Contesting the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections independently, both outfits suffered crippling defeats amid a sweeping AAP wave; the BJP secured just two seats, while SAD registered its lowest historical tally with a mere three seats in the 117-member house.

Continued Stagnation in 2024 Lok Sabha: Despite back-channel negotiations prior to the 2024 general elections, both parties contested separately, resulting in the Akali Dal retaining only Bathinda while the BJP drew a complete blank across Punjab’s 13 parliamentary constituencies, underlining the electoral cost of their split.

The Governor Memorandum: Badal Demands Sacking of CM Mann Over Activist Killing

Badal’s interaction with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria formally centered on the deteriorating law-and-order situation and the death of an anti-drug crusader:

Justice for Parvinder Singh Jhota: The SAD chief formally submitted a charter of four demands regarding the murder of activist Parvinder Singh Jhota, seeking the immediate dismissal of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to protect anti-narcotics whistleblowers.

Compensation and Employment Demands: Badal demanded a Class-I gazetted government job for Jhota's widow, Bibi Manpreet Kaur, along with ₹2 crore in ex-gratia compensation on humanitarian grounds.

Wider CBI Investigation Requested: The Akali delegation petitioned the Governor to instruct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expand its ongoing narcotics probes to cover the cases of Gulzar Singh of Toor Banjara—who named Finance Minister Harpal Cheema in a dying declaration—and Bikramjit Singh of Sri Hargobindpur Sahib, who was killed for resisting local drug networks.

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