Potential BJP-SAD Alliance Resurfaces In Punjab Ahead Of 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

The political dynamics in Punjab are undergoing a significant shift as discussions of a potential re-alliance between the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections resurface. The voting for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab is scheduled for June 1.

Confirming the ongoing developments, senior BJP leader and party spokesperson SS Channy stated that discussions between the two parties in Punjab were in progress. He mentioned that the Akali Dal would convene a core committee meeting on March 22 to deliberate on the matter, followed by a formal meeting between the BJP and SAD. The final decision regarding the alliance would be made by the BJP high command.

Similarly, senior Akali Dal leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema confirmed that various issues, including the election alliance, would be discussed during the upcoming core committee meeting in Chandigarh. He hinted at the possibility of an alliance with a "like-minded" political party.

Sources close to SAD disclosed that initially, the party hesitated to realign with the BJP due to unresolved issues such as a legal framework for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the release of Sikh prisoners, among others.

However, Punjab's Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa, expressed apprehensions regarding the potential SAD-BJP alliance. He cautioned that such a move could be detrimental to SAD's interests, particularly its stance on farmers' issues and religion.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress secured victory in eight out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. The BJP and SAD won two seats each, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a single seat.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had severed ties with the BJP and withdrew from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020 due to the contentious farm laws introduced by the central government. Despite the subsequent repeal of these laws following extensive farmer protests, SAD has continued to offer support to the NDA on various occasions, including matters related to 'One Nation, One Election' and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).