Chandigarh, August 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, with discussions reportedly focusing on the law and order situation in Punjab ahead of the state Assembly elections.
The meeting has sparked speculation about a possible revival of ties between the SAD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which were alliance partners for nearly two decades before parting ways in 2020.
A senior Akali leader said Punjab-related issues dominated the discussion, with Badal apprising the Prime Minister about concerns over the state’s law and order situation.
“Even the Prime Minister heard all our concerns,” the leader said.
The meeting comes weeks after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Punjab on July 17, during which he addressed a rally in Jalandhar and criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government, while also taking aim at Congress and the SAD.
A day later, Badal had claimed that the Prime Minister’s remarks were directed at another faction of the Akali Dal and not his party.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said any senior leader could meet the Prime Minister and welcomed the interaction.
“Sukhbir Singh Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister. I am happy that he must have spoken for the good of Punjab. We will contest all 117 seats in Punjab alone. A major joining is going to happen,” Dhillon said.
The SAD, which completed 100 years in 2021, has been facing a major organisational crisis following the departure of several leaders. The party suffered its worst-ever performance in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, winning only three seats in the 117-member House, down from 15 seats in the previous Assembly.
The SAD was among the BJP’s oldest allies and had supported the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government in 1996. However, the party exited the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020 over differences regarding the now-repealed farm laws.
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