Chandigarh, August 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday challenged the BJP to publicly swear that it would not enter into an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
Reacting to BJP general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh’s announcement that the party would contest all 117 Assembly seats independently, Warring accused the BJP of “running with the hare and hunting with the hounds”, alleging that its leaders were simultaneously engaged in discussions with the Akalis.
Warring said the BJP was reluctant to acknowledge any possible alliance with the SAD because of fears that sections of its organisational cadre could leave the party.
“The BJP is only trying to keep its flock together, so that it does not desert and defect,” he said.
The Punjab Congress chief questioned the BJP’s claim of going solo, asking why SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the two parties had no plans for an electoral understanding. He said the meeting was followed by another round of discussions between leaders of the two parties.
Warring also challenged the BJP to name candidates for all 117 Assembly constituencies if it was serious about contesting every seat.
“What to speak of contesting all the seats, you may not find even a single candidate in a majority of the constituencies across Punjab,” he said, advising the BJP not to “befool” the people of the state.
The remarks come amid renewed political speculation over the possibility of a BJP-SAD rapprochement ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections. The BJP and SAD were longtime allies before their relationship broke down over the 2020 farm laws, with the SAD subsequently leaving the National Democratic Alliance.
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