Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, triggering renewed talk of a possible BJP–SAD political alliance ahead of Punjab Assembly elections. Both reports link the discussion to the timing of the meeting and to Badal’s recent engagements, including an earlier meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
The outlets also set out the political context. The BJP has indicated it intends to contest the Punjab elections independently, while some state-level voices have hinted that reconnecting with SAD remains possible. A BJP state unit chief dismisses the alliance buzz, saying any senior leader can meet the PM and asserting the party plans to contest all 117 seats.
Separately, the reporting recalls that the BJP–SAD alliance, which lasted for decades, ended in 2020 following controversy over the Centre’s farm laws and the later decision by SAD to leave the NDA. In 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party won 92 seats, Congress won 18, and both BJP and SAD had contested independently. The upcoming elections are expected in early next year, alongside polls in several other states.
