Amid speculation about a possible reunion between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said his party was open to alliances with parties that agree with its ideology and programmes.Badal described the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress as Punjab's "biggest enemies" and ruled out any understanding with them. His remarks came ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh on Friday, Badal said an SAD delegation had met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and discussed the law and order situation in the state.The delegation submitted a memorandum over the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and sought the dismissal of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. "During the SAD-BJP rule, peace prevailed in Punjab, and the state witnessed development, be it in infrastructure, industry, or the state becoming power surplus," Badal said, according to news agency PTI.

He alleged that wrong decisions by the Congress and AAP governments had worsened the situation in Punjab."Whether we form the government or not, we will continue to fight for the people of Punjab. In our view, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are the two biggest enemies of Punjab, and we can never have an understanding with these parties.

There are many other parties besides these, and those who agree with the Akali Dal's ideology and programmes, we are open to a tie-up," he said. The speculation over a SAD-BJP reunion intensified after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at an event in Delhi on Thursday that an NDA government would be formed in Punjab in 2027.

Earlier, Badal's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his office in Parliament House in August had also triggered speculation that the two parties could join hands again.The SAD ended its 24-year alliance with the BJP in September 2020 over the three farm laws, which were later withdrawn. Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had earlier served as a Cabinet minister in the Modi government.

In recent months, several Punjab BJP leaders have said the party is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats. In the 2022 elections, the BJP won two seats and the SAD three.Referring to Jhota's killing, Badal said the delegation had submitted four key demands to the governor, including Mann's dismissal.

He alleged that the drug mafia had political support from the ruling AAP. The SAD also demanded a Class-I government job for Jhota's wife, Manpreet Kaur, and compensation of Rs 2 crore on humanitarian grounds.

Badal clarified that Jhota's family and the joint action committee in Mansa had not made these demands.Jhota, who had campaigned against drug abuse and the illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot inside a medical store at a busy market in Mansa on October 13. Store owner Ashwani Kumar allegedly opened fire after Jhota questioned him about selling addictive drugs to an elderly man.

Kumar was later taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan.Badal also demanded that the CBI investigation be expanded to include the cases of Gulzar Singh of Toor Banjara in Dirba and Bikramjit Singh of Batala. Gulzar, a resident of Turbanjara village in Sangrur district, died by suicide on September 7.

His family alleged that he consumed poison after being harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema about drug supplies in his locality.Villagers have claimed that Bikramjit Singh was targeted for opposing drug peddling in his area. Police, however, said his murder followed a scuffle between two groups over a mobile phone.Badal's remarks combined an indication that the SAD was open to alliances with parties sharing its position with criticism of the AAP and Congress, while the party's delegation pressed the governor for action over Jhota's killing and other cases linked to opposition to drugs.- Ends