Aug 19, 2026 17:02 pm IST

Opinion | 6 Years After A Dramatic Break-Up, Are BJP-Akali Dal Set To Join Hands Again?

The arithmetic looks tempting, but the chemistry decidedly uncertain.

Amitabh Tiwari Amitabh Tiwari Columnist

Amitabh Tiwari Columnist

The corridors of power in the capital are abuzz about the 'gharwapasi' of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SDA) into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold before the Punjab elections next year. Sukhbir Badal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting a few days ago has fuelled speculation. The two parties ran a successful coalition in Punjab for almost 25 years, winning the 1997, 2007, and 2012 elections. It was a natural alliance representing the majority Sikh (SAD) and minority Hindu (BJP) population, respectively. Sikhs account for 58% of Punjab's population, and Hindus 38%. 

However, the controversial farm bills in 2019 led to a strain in the relationship, as farmers, particularly from Punjab, opposed the law. The SAD, fearing a loss of support from its key Jat Sikh vote, exited the alliance in September 2020. The SAD had urged the BJP-led central government not to bring the bills to Parliament till "all reservations" expressed by farmers were "duly addressed". But when the Centre did not pay heed, Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet in protest against the bills.

Punjab's Unique Situation

The duality of the Sikh community - a minority in India but a majority in Punjab - is a continuing source of political conflict and tension between Sikh-majority Punjab and Hindu-majority India. Resentment towards the Centre, especially after the Golden Temple incident in 1984, hasn't waned fully. Regionalism is integral to Sikh culture; Punjabis don't want their fate to be remote-controlled by........

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