NEW DELHI: BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are likely to revive their alliance for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls, with both parties acknowledging that it could be their best bet despite differences, especially over seat sharing.Since PM Narendra Modi met SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Aug 7, sources said both parties have engaged in talks. BJP will take the final call and has given no public hint about an alliance. Some Punjab functionaries said both parties had shown more pragmatism than in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, when their inflexibility derailed talks. Sources said ironing out the details of the alliance would prove more difficult than reaching an agreement on the alliance itself.
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Akali Dal is expected to remain the senior partner, but BJP is seeking a major increase in its seat share from the 2017 assembly polls, besides a bigger role in any future govt. BJP’s vote share has risen since it began fighting elections alone, helped by the induction of several regional leaders from different parties. It crossed 18.5% in 2024, against nearly 13.5% for SAD.SAD and BJP fought 94 and 23 seats, respectively, when they contested the 2017 polls together. There is wide acknowledgement that the old equation no longer holds after a string of setbacks for SAD. The key question is how the two parties define the new alliance.