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Possible alliance could reshape Punjab’s political contest ahead of the 2027 polls.

The BJP is talking about fighting all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. The Akalis are talking about coming back together. Panthic groups are trying to find space with the BJP. And behind all the public denials, the biggest question in Punjab politics is no longer whether the BJP can fight alone, but whether it will finally choose to do so. The party has repeatedly maintained that there is no alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal and that it is preparing to contest every seat on its own. BJP Punjab in charge Satish Poonia has said this clearly on more than one occasion. Yet the political activity around the party tells a more complicated story.

Senior Akali leaders have openly pushed for a reunion with the BJP. Bikram Singh Majithia said people in Punjab want the two parties to come together again. Sukhbir Singh Badal also spoke about the need for old allies to work together At the same time, the BJP is not dealing only with the Badal led SAD. Different Panthic groups are also looking towards the party, hoping to work out their own political arrangement before the 2027 Assembly elections.

“This has created an unusual situation in Punjab. The BJP is publicly preparing for a solo contest, while sections of the Akali and Panthic political space are trying to move closer to it. The issue is therefore not simply whether there will be an alliance. The bigger issue is what kind of alliance the BJP would accept, and how many seats it would demand if an understanding is eventually reached,” expresses political analyst Dr Amarjit Singh.

The BJP is no longer looking at Punjab from the position it occupied when it was the smaller partner in the old SAD BJP alliance. The party has spent the past few years building its own organisation and trying to expand beyond the urban pockets that traditionally formed its base. The BJP’s growing confidence is also visible in the way its senior leaders are reaching out directly to Punjab voters.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has emerged as one of the most visible BJP faces in Punjab. He has been making repeated visits to the state, addressing public gatherings and meeting people who approach him with their problems. As per his office records, Punjab people are now approaching him to solve their issues pertaining to Punjab . Saini’s accessibility has become part of his political appeal. People from Punjab continue to approach him, and sources familiar with his schedule say he makes efforts to meet them even when the meetings continue late into the night. His office and residence in Chandigarh have also officially been described as remaining open to the public round the clock.

For the BJP, Saini’s Punjab outreach serves a larger purpose. It gives the party a leader who can speak directly to Punjab’s voters while also highlighting the political and cultural links between Punjab and Haryana. Saini is making Punjab Farmers aware of the state government’s procurement guarantee for 24 crops, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), and Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana (DDLLY), in which women are given Rs 2100 per month. Saini has repeatedly said that the BJP’s alliance is with the people of Punjab. He has also been openly campaigning for a BJP government in the state and attacking the Bhagwant Mann government over drugs, crime, corruption and governance.

The AAP, meanwhile, is already preparing its response. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has attacked the possibility of a BJP SAD reunion, accusing the Akali leadership of trying to get back into power by joining hands with the BJP. The AAP is likely to use any alliance between the two parties to revive its attack on the old political order in Punjab.

And then there are the Panthic groups, which add another complication. SAD Punar Surjit has been exploring its options, with the BJP among the political forces it is engaging with. Leaders associated with the faction have raised issues involving Chandigarh, river waters, Punjabi-speaking areas and Sikh prisoners as matters that would have to be addressed in any political understanding.

The Akalis are knocking on the BJP’s door. Panthic groups are exploring their options with the party. The BJP is building its own organisation and voter connect. And Saini is increasingly visible on the ground in Punjab.