With the 2027 Punjab Assembly Elections looming just a year away, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself entangled in a strategic quandary over whether to rekindle its long-standing alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) or forge an independent path in the politically volatile state. The indecision has sown confusion among the party's rank and file, exacerbated by mixed signals from senior leaders. Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who joined the BJP in 2023, recently amplified calls for reconciliation in a media interview, asserting that the saffron party lacks the standalone strength to form a government in Punjab and that reuniting with the SAD would mutually benefit both outfits amid the state's complex caste and religious dynamics.

Amarinder's stance echoes sentiments from other prominent figures, including state BJP president Sunil Jakhar, who has advocated for reviving the partnership since before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Jakhar, a former Congress leader, pushed for a seat-sharing deal, but negotiations collapsed when the SAD rebuffed the BJP's demand for five of Punjab's 13 parliamentary seats. Over the years, several defectors from other parties have joined this chorus, viewing the alliance as essential for penetrating rural and Panthic strongholds where the BJP's organizational footprint remains limited. The historic tie-up, part of the National Democratic Alliance since the 1990s, delivered joint victories in the 1997, 2007, and 2012 Assembly elections, with the BJP contesting 23 of 117 seats and three Lok Sabha constituencies.

However, the BJP's national leadership has remained conspicuously silent on the matter, while internal opposition simmers. Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu has vocally resisted, arguing that aligning with the SAD would saddle the BJP with the baggage of past governance failures, including drug proliferation and law-and-order lapses during Akali rule. Grassroots loyalists and long-time cadres also favor building an independent identity, wary of diluting the party's brand. Last month, state co-incharge Narinder Singh Raina reportedly intervened in a meeting to curb public endorsements of the alliance, highlighting deepening factional rifts.

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Proponents within the BJP deem the reunion "inevitable" given recent setbacks, such as controversies over Panjab University restructuring and Chandigarh's administrative changes, which have hampered expansion efforts despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pro-Sikh initiatives. Yet, the SAD's own internal divisions complicate matters, with questions arising over aligning with Sukhbir Badal's faction while sidelining dissidents like those led by former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, who enjoy perceived proximity to BJP elements. As Punjab's electoral landscape evolves, the BJP's choice could redefine alliances in a state dominated by issues like agrarian distress and regional identity.

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