Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi: How BJP-SAD Alliance Could Flip Punjab Election Script For AAP, Congress

Published 7 August 2026 · local

News explainers Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi: How BJP-SAD Alliance Could Flip Punjab Election Script For AAP, Congress Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi: How BJP-SAD

News explainers Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi: How BJP-SAD Alliance Could Flip Punjab Election Script For AAP, Congress Sukhbir Badal Meets PM Modi: How BJP-SAD Alliance Could Flip Punjab Election Script For AAP, Congress Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 19:21 IST A potential BJP-SAD alliance completely alters the playing field for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, threatening to turn a direct 2-horse race into a multi-cornered contest Rapid Read PM Narendra Modi; Sukhbir Singh Badal. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament House complex in New Delhi. The high-profile meeting lasted around 10 minutes and has strongly reignited speculation about the revival of the SAD-BJP political alliance ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Decoding the possibilities and its significance. THE MEETING SAD was one of the oldest partners of the Democratic Alliance (NDA) until it broke ties in 2020 over the controversial, now-repealed central farm laws. While official details are guarded, party sources revealed the discussions focused heavily on Punjab’s deteriorating law-and-order situation, administrative governance lapses, economic growth, and the ongoing drug menace under the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Prior to this meeting, BJP leaders asserted they would contest the state elections independently.

Senior leaders hint that a formal alliance could shape up, though Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri previously indicated that the BJP would no longer settle for a “younger brother" seat-sharing dynamic in Punjab. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal quickly took a swipe at the meeting on social media platform X, questioning if the two former allies are officially joining hands once again. MEETING TODAY, MERGER LATER THIS YEAR?SAD chief Sukhbir Badal met PM Modi earlier today. Sources tell @payalmehta100 that important issues regarding Sikh faith and political environment in AAP ruled Punjab were discussed.SAD was one of the oldest allies of the BJP till the two… pic.twitter.com/vwWwrgHeMG— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) August 7, 2026 WHY A BJP-SAD ALLIANCE MAKES SENSE NOW Overcoming Mutual Vulnerability: Since their acrimonious split in 2020 over the contentious farm laws, both parties have struggled independently in Punjab. In the last state elections, the BJP secured only two seats while SAD managed just three. Political analysts point out that fighting independently pushes both parties into a weak third- or fourth-place battle, while an alliance instantly brings them back into active contention against AAP and Congress. Balancing Urban and Rural Votes: The two parties complement each other’s voter bases structurally. The BJP has traditionally held stronger roots in Punjab’s urban Hindu pockets, whereas SAD commands influence across the state’s rural Sikh-majority heartlands.