Shiromani Akali Dal plans 15 rallies as BJP alliance buzz revives party

The Story in Brief

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced 15 new rallies across Punjab for August and September, including three traditional annual conferences at Issru, Longowal, and Baba Bakala, as speculation grows about a potential alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and senior party leaders will lead the events. A senior party leader told NDTV that alliance talks are "almost finalised" and that even the rumour of a BJP tie-up has energised the rural cadre. The leader claimed the SAD is already ahead of the BJP in some urban pockets and asserted that the "BJP can't survive without Akali Dal in Punjab."

According to India Today, the relationship between the SAD and BJP has a complex history dating back to 1952, marked by alternating phases of confrontation and cooperation. The 1996 unconditional alliance saw both parties form successive coalition governments, primarily driven by shared opposition to the Congress. However, the partnership has faced strains over issues like the Guru Nanak University jurisdiction dispute, the 1981 cigarette-beedi trade march, and disagreements over Article 25. The history, India Today notes, suggests the alliance was built more on political necessity than ideological agreement.