- 13 hours ago
Fresh political signaling from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal has reignited speculation regarding a potential reunion ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:03The BJP Akali Dal equation in Punjab is back in focus with fresh signals from both the sides
00:08staring speculation about a possible reunion.
00:12Akali Dal chief Sukbir Badal has opened the door to alliances with like-minded parties
00:19while Amit Shah has projected an NDA government in Punjab after the 2027 polls.
00:25Are the former allies inching towards a political reunion?
00:30Or is this just the beginning of another round of political signalling with seat-sharing
00:35and the terms of an alliance still uncertain?
00:38Before I bring in the guests and ask these questions, here's a report.
00:50In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies.
00:55Only frenemies.
00:58And in Punjab, an old political romance may be reigniting.
01:04Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukbir Singh Badal is signalling openness to joining hands with like-minded parties,
01:12taking aim at both the ARP and the Congress.
01:41Bahadal has also invoked the Shiromani Akali to the U.S.
01:44Khalid Al Bharatiya Janta Party coalition years arguing that Punjab enjoyed peace under the joint
01:50rule. This comes after union home minister Amit Shah's big 2027 prediction and NDA government
02:14in Punjab.
02:35One statement and the alliance buzz is back. Earlier Subbir Badal's meeting with Prime Minister
02:43Narendra Modi in August had already set off speculation. Now with Punjab heading towards
02:49another assembly election, the question is, can these former allies turn nostalgia into
02:55a new political pact?
02:56The relationship goes back decades. In 1996, Shiromani Akali Dal and BGP cement ties. 1997, the
03:07alliance storms to power in Punjab. 2007 and 2012, two consecutive assembly victories cement
03:16their partnership. 2014, Akali Dal and BGP fight the Lok Sabha pose together with Har Simrit Kaur
03:23Badal joining the Modi cabinet. But the honeymoon does not last. The alliance loses power in
03:29Punjab in 2017. In 2020, the farm laws become the breaking point.
03:36Shiromani Akali Dal quits the NDA, accusing the centre of ignoring farmers' concerns over MSP
03:43guarantees. In 2022, the former allies fight separately and both suffer electoral setbacks.
03:52Reunion talks surface in 2024, but no deal materialises. Now with 2027 in sight, the political
04:01calculations are back on the table. For the BGP, an old regional ally could matter in Punjab.
04:08For the Akalis, the question is whether a reunion can revive their political fortunes and on what
04:15terms. Because in politics, making up is one thing. Agreeing on the seat sharing is quite another.
04:22Will the old alliance be revived or will this remain another round of political flirtation?
04:28In Punjab, the next move could change the electoral equation.
04:34We are a report, India Today.
04:38So is it now only a matter of time when the announcement will be made that old allies have
04:46reunited for the upcoming elections? Joining me on the show, Rashid Kidwai, author and political
04:51analyst. Mr. Grewal is a senior vice president of Akali Dal and former cabinet minister. Dr.
04:57S. S. S. Chani is chief spokesperson of the BJP of Punjab and Bikram Jit Singh Pasi is a national
05:03spokesperson of the Ahmadinei party. Mr. Greva, let me begin with you. The BJP is preparing to contest
05:10all 117 seats is what they have been saying. But Akalis are also giving some kind of indication.
05:19We have seen what happened in 2019 and then what happened finally in 2024, when you contested
05:26separately. What makes you believe that a reunion can reverse the decline which has been there?
05:34Maria, first of all, I say adab to you. Good evening. Adab.
05:40See, the Punjab politics is a very interesting scene. And Shromani Akali Dal always took the decisions
05:50not for power but for the interest of the state. I just take a minute that in 1966 when Punjabi
05:57Subha came into being, before that, all the parties were at loggerhead. Akali Dal was championing for
06:07Punjabi Subha. Congress was opposing it. So was then Jansang and all other parties. But when the
06:14elections were held after the formation of Punjabi Subha, they all joined hands to oust the Congress.
06:20So Punjab has a different situation than the rest of the country. Now in Punjab, it is
06:29a situation of very uncomfortable political setup. There is no law and order. So in this uncomfortable
06:39political setup, you feel that you are best placed to have an alliance partner like the BJP?
06:46Yes. The reason is that we can't go for Congress because of Operation Blue Star and the misdeeds
06:56and the wrong acts committed by the AAP. So they both players are not parties which we can alliance.
07:06Okay. So you can't ally with the Aam Admi Party, no question whatsoever. They are in government,
07:12you are in opposition. Also with the Congress Party, fine enough. So the only option is BJP. So it's only
07:18a matter of announcement now. So Dr. Chani, come in now. The BJP's vote share rose from 6.6%
07:24in the
07:252022 assembly elections to 18.56% in the 2024 Lok Sabai elections. Yet it won zero parliamentary seats in
07:34Punjab. Do you feel that this is needed, that voters will trust you only if you have a local
07:42party such as the Akali's in partnership?
07:48First of all, good in to you and my co-panelists and all the viewers. You know, since 2022,
07:58the BJP has been in a position to fight elections of its own. We contested all the 13 parliament seats,
08:05then we contested all the 117 Lok Sabha seats and then even the municipal and panchayat elections.
08:13No, you may be contesting, but you have seen the results.
08:18Yes, yes. That's there. No.
08:20You are contesting, but you are not winning.
08:23That's there, but we are improving. Now, listen to me. What I want to tell you is that
08:28I, to some extent, I endorse the views of Mr. Mishan's Garewal. Because, you know, the people of
08:36Punjab, as he said, and we also say the same thing, Punjab is a different state. It's totally different
08:42than other states. And it has a different culture, different pattern, different history and past.
08:48So, the BJP and Kali Dal has been in alliance since 1996. But it was mainly for the communal harmony
08:57and
08:58the development of the state. Because without the good land order and without communal harmony,
09:03no state can, especially like Punjab, can really think out. But the Kali's broke this alliance in 2020,
09:102020, because of farm laws. Yeah, that's there. We didn't leave them. They left us. And, you know,
09:21and I must say one thing more, that this is a rest with the Heikman. Maybe their Heikman also,
09:28and our Heikman as well. So, basically, it's history. Both the sides have forgotten what happened
09:34in 2020, and you have decided to move on? No. In politics, you know,
09:40there are many things that happened. And you may have, you can call it, let it go.
09:44Let's listen to Graewal.
09:46Maria, you are a very wise anchor, and you know everything.
09:51In politics, no permanent enemies, no permanent friends. But you must have heard Mr. Sukhveer Singh's
09:59statement today after meeting the governor. He said for Akali Dal, first is Punjab,
10:05power is a secondary thing. What Punjab wants, Akali Dal is bound and committed for that.
10:13So, it has to be for the betterment of Punjab and Punjabis. The phase through which the Punjab is
10:21passing out today. No, but tell me, Mr. Graewal, as a veteran politician yourself,
10:26what does the BJP bring on the table if an alliance happens?
10:32Maria, you know that when there is a question of marriage, the first thing is the family
10:39background is seen. The rest things are happening after it's a solemnized.
10:53So, it is the confidence should be between the parties. It's not a shop that we have to
11:03make a first haggling and then sort out. See, I don't think that any sane political party will
11:11like to play Punjab the same way it was played in the late 80s. Punjab suffered a lot and present
11:18situation in the Punjabi is worse than the 80s. Maria, I am in politics for the last four decades.
11:25It's really, really, I will invite you that you come yourself and assess yourself.
11:31It's very unsafe. I'll be there, sir. I'll be on ground zero covering this election. So,
11:35let me bring in others on the show as well. Mr. Parsi, help me understand, how worried are you
11:43if this alliance actually takes shape? You know, if you look at the two spokespersons and, you know,
11:48one of them is a senior leader of the Kali Dal, so he is privy to certainly more details. He
11:54has given
11:55all the indication that it's only a matter of time. Now it is about announcement that is left.
12:01The deal is through.
12:04Maria, good evening to you and very respectable Maheshinder Garewalji,
12:08Channiji and my other co-panelists and viewers. Maria, this is not a question of any political
12:15harmony or benefits of Punjab. Both the parties have lost their credibility in Punjab. People of
12:23Punjab are not going to put any faith upon both these parties because they have did so many misdeeds
12:30in Punjab during their tenure between 2007 to 2017. So zero plus zero is equal to zero.
12:38Either they come together or they come separately in elections. The result will be the same because
12:44the people have no faith upon both these political parties. In their rule, the Punjab first time heard
12:52about Chitta. The Punjab first time heard about gangsters. And the joint rule of both these parties
13:00was the, you can say, curse for Punjab. And now come to the present situation. The present situation is
13:07indicating that in March 2026, when Mr. Amitsar came to Punjab, he was saying that in all these cities,
13:14we are going to contest independently, we are going to contest alone, but they have seen the actual
13:23base of their party. And now both the parties are trying to say that they are coming in a joint
13:31venture. But the reality is that the Amadmi Party is going to repeat. And my learned friend,
13:37Mr. Mahesh Indra Garibala has stated about it. But are you not worried that all the promises that you
13:43made ahead of the elections, when you said that you will end the entire menace of drugs in a matter
13:50of six months, that has not been implemented. Drug remains a reality of Punjab and its youth.
13:56But we have guaranteed, we have fulfilled all these guarantees and even more than that. And regarding the
14:03drugs, we have tried our best, we have given best results in whole India. And moreover, if you
14:09talk about... No, no, what? Whole India, sir? You had to say Punjab, no country.
14:13Maria, let me complete one question, one answer, then ask the other, please. If you
14:18talk about the law and order situation, it is the NCRB data, which says that Punjab is on second place
14:24to implement the law and order situation, to control the crime. And in Haryana,
14:29the crime ratio is 739, 739, whereas in Punjab is 227. And who will be the big brother if they
14:38come joint? Okay. So who will be the big brother? That's a valid question. I will get response from
14:44both Mr. Chani and Mr. Greval. But Rashid is a political analyst and he has been waiting extremely
14:51patiently. So let me bring in Rashid. Rashid, looking at pure numbers,
14:56the BJP and Akali together polled 31.98 percent in the Lok Sabha elections.
15:04That was below their combined number in 2019, which was around 37.08 percent.
15:12If this reunion actually happens, you know, because it was one, you know, the fact is that the BJP,
15:19Akali's, they have been one of the oldest alliances that India has seen in Indian politics, 23 years and
15:27counting. Do you think they will be able to come up with a narrative and come up with an idea
15:33which
15:33will be seen as a pure alternative to Ahmadi party in Punjab? Because Punjab also has an important
15:41player in the Congress party. Absolutely. So, Maria, I think, you know, the union home minister,
15:48Amit Shah, he's very confident and he's been talking about, you know, the BJP is bringing a
15:52surprise in Punjab and doing very well. But I think alliances are formed from the position of
15:58strength. And if the minor player is, you know, views itself as very powerful,
16:03this case being the BJP, then the Akali Dal will have problems. So there will be structural problems.
16:09And I think Ahmadi party has made huge inroads. So when we look at the votes here, particularly in
16:15assembly elections, you see a lot of, you know, Akali votes have gone to the Ahmadi party and so
16:20has the Congress votes. So therefore, Ahmadi party, is there going to be collapse? I don't see that
16:25happening. And some of the surveys have also indicated. So as long as AAP is holding on to
16:30its position and Mr. Maan's email... Are you seeing a triangular contest?
16:35I'm seeing a hung house. Frankly, I don't see anybody, you know, crossing a majority mark. So
16:40in that case, it will be quite, you know, mind-boggling how, you know, the political parties
16:45will align together. Just as a, you know, a matter of this... I mean, in 2022, it was a wave
16:51election
16:51for the Ahmadi party. Even if they come down, how bad can they do? If there is a slide, how
17:01bad can
17:01it be? So, Maria, we have seen that, you know, it's bad, then sometimes it gets very bad. We've
17:07seen it in Delhi, what happened to Ahmadi party. But I don't personally, in my assessment, I don't
17:11see Ahmadi party falling to that Delhi standard and collapsing or handing over power. So it will
17:17be a hung house. And let me remind you, you see, the pre-independent era, in fact, the Akalis and
17:22the Congress were together. So, you know, there is all kind of mind-boggling possibilities exist.
17:27All political parties will deny. But I think the BJP will remain on one side and the Congress on
17:32the other side. And the other political parties will have to find a way who they align with.
17:37It will be a fascinating contest, certainly in Punjab. So, since the Ahmadi party spokesperson
17:45raised the question of who will be the big brother in this alliance between the BJP and the Kalis,
17:51I think, in those 23 years, as an observer of politics, what I saw was that in Delhi, it was
17:58a
17:58different equation. In Punjab, it was a totally different equation. BJP agreed to be a smaller
18:04brother in the state of Punjab. In Delhi, the BJP, being a national party, was the big brother.
18:09Isn't that a fair assessment, Mr. Graywal?
18:11Maria, you are perfectly right. See, I tell you, I will take your one minute because I think nobody
18:17allows Punjabis to speak. But in Maria's rule, we must be able to speak the things.
18:23In 1996, when Atal Behari Vajpi led the BJP, they got 172 seats. 18 seats were got by the
18:32Shev Sena. They had full number of 190, much short of the total absolute majority of 272.
18:39And Akali Dal contested that election in alliance with the BSP. And the Akalis won 10 seats and
18:489 seats and the BSP got 3 seats and one went to the Congress. But when it comes to the
18:54formation
18:55of government, knowing fully well, knowing fully well that the government is not going to survive
19:01the flow test, we stood with the Paharti Janata Party for the sake of communal harmony in Punjab,
19:10national interest. It was not a power game. My friend, Mr. Pahsi from AAP is worried about our
19:17status. We are not AAP. In Chandigarh, in case of mayor, you support the Congress. In Punjab, you
19:26give them bites. In national level, you join India. In Punjab, you fight with each other.
19:32And still, you are joint holders. Any day, you can join hands with the Congress.
19:40The expert was saying, Maria, one thing you also must be keeping in mind that this parliament election
19:46in 2024, they have 94 MLS. And what their chief minister and the leadership was saying,
19:55we will sweep the poor, nobody will get a single seat. What happened, they got only two. Rather,
20:01they only won two seats. Hushyarpur and Sangroor with a margin of more than one lakh. The Anandpursa
20:08was just 10,000 votes. So they lost practically 11 seats. Punjab is a snakes and ladder. When you reach
20:1799, you can come to zero, not to the hundred. So keep this thing in mind. Killing of Mr. Jhuta,
20:26Gang. And I tell this gentleman, in the last two days, two police constables were
20:35arrested with millions of rupees, chitta. They can't, a simple constable can't dare to carry such
20:44a big consignment. They are a political pattern. This I am not saying. This is the statement of
20:49Tejriwal and Bhagwan Taman. You know, Mr. Pasi, you know, that certainly is a matter of concern.
20:54Because with the CBI taking over these cases, and in the last, you know, few days as well,
21:03your own target of ensuring that it becomes a drug-free Punjab, that hasn't really happened.
21:11You don't have a measurable success. And this killing of Jhuta Singh has certainly changed
21:22how this entire, you know, how the enforcement has failed, how the illegal trade, the drug trade
21:32is continuing, and the Aam Admi Party government has much to explain.
21:37Maria, first of all… It's an organized crime, in which it is evident that the political class
21:45has much to explain, as much as the cops on the ground and the law enforcement agencies.
21:52Maria, this is the Punjab police who has arrested the accused within 24 hours. And what happened in
21:58in the regime of Akali Bhajpa government? In 2013, there were 805 murders. And even 17 target killings
22:06in 2016 and 17. I remember Mr. Gagneja, Ramesh Kumar, Chand Kaur, Mata, so many things. So,
22:14a crime is committed by a criminal. But in the regime of Akali Bhajpa government, the accused were
22:22going there and there freely. But in our government, a strict action has been taken against the accused
22:27persons, criminals. And within 24 hours, every criminal has either in jail or in hospital.
22:33And this is the law and order situation in Punjab which has been maintained by Aam Admi Party
22:37government. And NCRB data says that Punjab is on second place in maintaining the law and order.
22:43And third thing is, yes, NCRB data, I have. And in Haryana, 2023, 1,042 murders. 1,042 murders in
22:56one year, 2023. I have another year's detail also. So, the actual law and order situation is worst in
23:05BJP ruling states. And whether the Akali Dal has no right to speak on Chandigarh? Has the Akali Dal
23:14lost their vision over waters of Punjab? Whether the Akali Dal is going to accept the
23:22anti-farmers American trade deal? Whether the issues of farmers have been settled by central
23:28government? A lot of questions being asked. Dr. Chandni, quickly, 30 seconds. And then I'll give
23:33the last word to Rasheed. Go ahead, 30 seconds.
23:36I don't know what he wants to say. He's trying to say, you know, the things have been bad here
23:42and
23:42there. But the people gave them 92 MLA's. What have they done? You know, they have ruined the state of
23:50Punjab. They have ruined the culture. They have ruined the youth of the state. And they have eaten up one
23:56generation. And, you know, now we say that even the delivery of the pizza can be delayed. But, you
24:03know, in every nook and corner of the state, you can just order and have the pudi, pudi, who we
24:09call
24:09it, you know, small packet of chita. So, you know, they have done the maximum damage to the state of
24:17Punjab. And my friend is not telling. I ask him one thing. Where is the fear? They are patronizing.
24:24They are, you know, totally, you know, they are mixed with them. And even the police and uniform,
24:32then everybody. And they're just, they're just mixed up with them. And every leader is giving them
24:38the patronage. Rats have eaten. It is the report of Gujarat government.
24:44Oh, my dear friend, tell us that who makes the pudis and who delivers. And what are you doing?
24:51What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing?
24:53What are you doing? What are you doing? And this environment, I have been the deputy commissioner for
24:57six years. And during days of terrorism. And during those days, the people were not that bad
25:03as they are happening now. Okay, so let me try and sum up this conversation. Dr. Greval and Dr.
25:09Chani. So it's a matter of announcement only. Dr. Greval first. That the deal is done.
25:15It's only a matter of announcement, Dr. Greval.
25:17I tell you that it is for the high command to decide.
25:21Yes, okay. But do you have information about high command?
25:39If you have shown the wonderful thing results in Punjab, why you couldn't get a single-seater
25:44in Haryana, which is the home state of your convener? Why you couldn't get even one percent
25:49vote in Himachal? You got in Punjab only for one reason. Because Punjabis believe and trust
25:56a person what he speaks from the mouth. All right. I have just enough time for Rashid Kidwai.
26:01Rashid, it's an important election for Punjab and also for the Congress Party, I would say.
26:07They have been in opposition. And here is the BJP with its old alliance partner,
26:13which has governed Punjab for a significant number of years, making all issues, raising the issue,
26:21particularly of drugs, that will resonate with the people. Do you think Congress needs to get its
26:26act together to be seen in this important battlefield?
26:31So, Maria, I think that's been a writing on the wall. Congress is a natural party for governance.
26:36As far as Punjab is concerned, it has roots in, deep roots in society, both among the Sikh community,
26:42as well as in, among the, you know, the Hindus and Dalits and all segments of society. And,
26:46but because its house is not in order, though Mr. Sachin Pilate is trying hard, there's a problem.
26:51So, both Amadmi Party and the Congress are fighting a very grim battle of survival. Because,
26:57you know, if they lose, if they fail to win, then there's nowhere. I would just say two,
27:01one thing for my, you know, friends of, you know, Akali and BJP, in politics, two and two
27:06not necessarily convert into, you know, four.
27:09All right. That's quintessential Rashid summing it up. Thank you so much for joining us,
27:15Mr. Greval, Dr. Channi, Mr. Pasi and also Rashid Kidwai. That's all from me on this edition of NewsTrack.
27:21Thanks so much for watching.