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New Delhi: Despite public statements to the contrary, especially from senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders like B.L. Santosh, the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) are working overtime, behind-the-scenes to stitch a pre-poll alliance for next year’s Punjab assembly elections.

While the two sides are working out the contours of the tie-up, the sticking point seems to be the number of seats each side would contest. 

Two days ago, BJP’s national general secretary (Organisation) Santosh said the saffron party was fully prepared to contest all 117 seats and would form the government in Punjab on its own. 

However, ground reality has ensured that both parties remain in touch with each other, via trusted back-channels, to reach “some kind of understanding” before the elections. 

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal visits flood-affected villages and interacts with locals, in Patiala, Punjab on September 5, 2025.Photo: PTI.

The BJP, despite its recent focus on wooing the Jat Sikh voters, especially through “imported” leaders like current Punjab unit chief Kewal Singh Dhillon and recently-appointed national vice president Manpreet Singh Badal, understands that it remains a minor player in the state, where it can’t make inroads without the crutches of a Panthic, cadre-based party like the SAD (Badal).

The Sukhbir Badal-led SAD (Badal), which has witnessed a sharp........

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