📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Politics
Akali Dal Breaks Alliance with BJP, Announces Solo Contest for 117 Seats in Punjab
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jalandhar
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 09:05 AM
👁 1
The Shiromani Akali Dal has announced it will contest 117 seats independently in Punjab, rejecting a tie‑up with the BJP and leaving party workers uncertain.
Punjab's long‑standing political equation between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a sharp turn on Tuesday when SAD declared it would field its own candidates in 117 constituencies, effectively ending the alliance for the upcoming state assembly polls. The decision was announced at a press conference in Jalandhar by senior SAD leader Ranjit Singh, who said the party wanted to "reassert its independent identity" after months of speculation about seat‑sharing.
The move surprised political analysts, as the SAD‑BJP partnership has been a cornerstone of the National Democratic Alliance in Punjab for over a decade. SAD's statement did not provide a detailed seat‑allocation formula but indicated that the party would contest all seats where it believes it has a strong grassroots base. The announcement has already triggered a scramble among local party workers, many of whom had been preparing for joint campaigning with BJP cadres.
Party activists expressed confusion over the sudden shift, citing a lack of clear guidance on candidate nominations and campaign logistics. Senior worker Mahinder Kaur told reporters that volunteers are now uncertain about where to focus their efforts, fearing that the split could dilute anti‑incumbency votes.
Political observers note that the SAD's solo bid could reshape the electoral math in Punjab, potentially benefiting regional rivals such as the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP, for its part, has not issued an immediate response, leaving the state's political landscape in a state of flux as the election calendar approaches.
The move surprised political analysts, as the SAD‑BJP partnership has been a cornerstone of the National Democratic Alliance in Punjab for over a decade. SAD's statement did not provide a detailed seat‑allocation formula but indicated that the party would contest all seats where it believes it has a strong grassroots base. The announcement has already triggered a scramble among local party workers, many of whom had been preparing for joint campaigning with BJP cadres.
Party activists expressed confusion over the sudden shift, citing a lack of clear guidance on candidate nominations and campaign logistics. Senior worker Mahinder Kaur told reporters that volunteers are now uncertain about where to focus their efforts, fearing that the split could dilute anti‑incumbency votes.
Political observers note that the SAD's solo bid could reshape the electoral math in Punjab, potentially benefiting regional rivals such as the Indian National Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP, for its part, has not issued an immediate response, leaving the state's political landscape in a state of flux as the election calendar approaches.