CHANDIGARH, India (Diya TV) — The Bharatiya Janata Party in i plans to contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab in the 2027 elections, Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said Aug. 25. His statement comes as speculation grows over a possible BJP alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Dhillon said the BJP has started preparing for the state election. He also made it clear that the party has no alliance talks underway at present.
“2027 State elections are coming up. BJP is all set. We will contest all 117 seats,” Dhillon told reporters.
The two parties worked together for years before ending their alliance in 2020. Their split followed disagreements over the farm laws passed by the central government.
Meanwhile, SAD Vice President Sanjiv Talwar said the party could still consider an alliance with the BJP. However, he stressed that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has the authority to make the final decision.
Talwar said he personally believes a BJP-SAD alliance could challenge the current Punjab government. He argued that many voters may see the two parties as the strongest combination to defeat the ruling administration.
However, Talwar also stressed that any alliance would need a clear agenda. He said Punjab’s interests would remain at the center of SAD’s approach.
The SAD leader said the party has long focused on protecting Punjab’s interests. Therefore, he argued that the party would not enter an alliance simply for electoral gains.
“If our President does form an alliance with the BJP, it will be based on specific issues,” Talwar said. He added that any partnership would focus mainly on Punjab-centric concerns.
Talwar also rejected the idea that the parties would need to decide which one would become the “big partner” or “small partner.” Instead, he said both sides would need to agree on a common agenda before forming any alliance.
The debate has gained attention because the BJP has expanded its political presence in Punjab. As a result, speculation has grown that the party could seek a larger role in a future alliance with the SAD.
However, Aam Aadmi Party leader Baltej Pannu dismissed the idea that either party could decide its political strength on its own. He said voters ultimately determine which party holds greater influence.
Pannu also attacked the SAD’s electoral record. He said the Badal-led party has suffered major political setbacks in recent Assembly elections.
“The Akali Dal (Badal) has been politically decimated in Punjab,” Pannu said. He pointed to the party’s performance in the 2017 and 2022 elections.
Pannu also questioned the SAD’s position during the farmers’ protest. He said the party left the BJP while citing farmers’ concerns but has since faced questions over its political standing in Punjab.
Punjab Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond also criticized the BJP. He said the party would struggle to win seats in the state regardless of whether it contests alone or joins an alliance.
Sond said the BJP would get no seats whether it contests 117 seats or a smaller number. He also accused the BJP of losing support among farmers during the prolonged farmers’ agitation.
For now, the BJP says it will contest all 117 seats. At the same time, the SAD has left the door open to a possible alliance.
