PM Modi-Sukhbir Badal meet sparks buzz. BJP-Akali Dal to unite for Punjab polls?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday, reigniting speculation about the possibility of a revival of their alliance ahead of the Punjab assembly elections. The meeting, which took place at the Prime Minister's Office, comes years after the SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020 over the repeal of farm laws.

Although BJP leaders have maintained that they will contest all 117 assembly seats independently, a senior SAD leader suggested that the possibility of a reunion was discussed during the meeting. Both parties have a history of collaboration, having formed governments in Punjab together in 1997, 2007, and 2012. The BJP has reiterated its stance of contesting all seats on its own, while the SAD has indicated that discussions about reviving the alliance did occur.

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