Sangrur/Chandigarh, August 21 — Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has sparked intense speculation about a potential reunion with the BJP after publicly expressing hope for the return of “old alliances” to boost development in Punjab. Her remarks, delivered at a memorial event in Sangrur, have triggered immediate political calculations in national capital circles, prompting the BJP leadership to quietly evaluate its electoral strength across Punjab’s assembly segments.
The comments have reignited discussions about a thaw in relations that originally fractured during the 2020 farmers’ protests, though both parties maintain that no official negotiations are currently underway.
“It is not for me to speak openly on the matter, and people will come to know at the right time,” Harsimrat Badal stated during her address. “I hope that old alliances and understandings, under which Punjab’s development-related work was supported from Delhi, can be restored.”
Behind the scenes, the BJP is already preparing for shifting political dynamics by instructing its Punjab strategists to audit the state’s 117 Assembly seats. Party insiders reveal that the BJP has identified roughly 50 constituencies where its footprint is strongest, allowing them to negotiate from a position of strength if an alliance materialises before the 2027 state elections. For the time being, the party maintains a public posture of preparing to contest every seat independently.
This sudden political momentum follows a series of recent olive branches between the former partners, including a high-profile meeting in Parliament between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. The Akali Dal subsequently aligned with the federal government on critical legislative issues, voting in favour of the Prime Minister’s stance on women’s reservation and delimitation.
Personal outreach has further softened the ice between the leadership. Top cabinet ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently called Harsimrat Badal directly to check on her husband’s well-being following a physical assault against him in Nanded, Maharashtra. This line of communication has remained active, with the Akali MP sending two formal requests to the Home Ministry over the past few weeks demanding central investigations into Punjab’s paper leak scandals and the attack on her husband.
