Sukhbir Singh Badal kept speculation about reuniting with the BJP alive. His guarded remarks signal possible alliance realignments before the Punjab Assembly elections.Badal also reiterated that the SAD was open to alliances with parties that accepted its philosophy, except the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Chandigarh,Nov 2, 2026 18:53 ISTShiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday gave a guarded response to speculation about a possible reunion with the BJP ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, saying the situation would become clear in a few days, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Badal also reiterated that the SAD was open to alliances with parties that accepted its philosophy, except the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).Asked about the possibility of the SAD reuniting with the BJP, Badal said, "Main pandit tan hai nahin (I am not a Pandit).

You will come to know in a few days what will happen," according to PTI."I had said that two political parties are enemies of Punjab — Congress and Jharoowale (AAP). Except them, we are open to those parties which are in the interest of Punjab and which are with our philosophy," he said.

Speculation about a reunion between the former allies intensified after Union Home Minister Amit Shah predicted at an event in Delhi last month that an NDA government would be formed in Punjab in 2027. Punjab BJP leaders, however, have said that the party is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats in the coming elections.Speculation had also emerged in August after Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his office in Parliament House.

The SAD ended its 24-year alliance with the BJP in September 2020 over the three farm laws, which were later repealed. Responding to a question about two AAP MLAs leaving the party, Badal said several more leaders would quit in the coming days.

He also claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would lose from his Dhuri seat. "People hate them. They looted so much," he alleged, targeting the AAP government.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kadian), which is part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha that led the agitation against the farm laws, extended unconditional support to the SAD for the upcoming state elections on Monday.

BKU (Kadian) president Harmeet Singh Kadian made the announcement in Badal's presence.In the 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP won two seats and the SAD secured three in the 117-member House. Under their earlier seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP contested 23 Assembly seats and the SAD 94.

In Lok Sabha elections, the SAD contested 10 seats and the BJP the remaining three. Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also served as a Cabinet minister in the Modi government.Badal's remarks have kept speculation about a possible SAD-BJP reunion alive, even as the BJP says it is preparing to contest all 117 seats and the SAD remains open to alliances with parties other than the Congress and AAP.- Ends