‘Panthic’ politics: SAD-BJP renewed alliance could reignite Akali Dal’s core base ahead of 2027 Punjab polls

Even as ‘Panthic’ politics, a political mobilisation surrounding the Sikh community’s collective identity, continues to be the cornerstone in Punjab’s electoral space, the restitching of an alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), could work in favour of the century-old SAD, which has been struggling to stage a political comeback in the State.

If the Akali Dal’s “core support base” sees a genuine prospect of returning to power in 2027, through this alliance with the BJP, that itself could become a rallying point drawing voters back to the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has served as Deputy Chief Minister in two separate stints.

Gradual downfall

Over the past decade, the SAD witnessed a gradual and significant downfall in Punjab’s politics, where Sikh identity and their issues have long been central to political discourse and different Akali groups have been fighting among themselves to capture the ‘Panthic’ space.

In 2025, the SAD saw a virtual split following the rebel faction forming a new outfit — Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit). Separately, the outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’ led by Lok Sabha MP and pro-Khalistan propagator Amritpal Singh, who is currently in Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act, has been steadily building support within the ‘Panthic’ space, a trend observers link to the weakening of the SAD.

Another party, the SAD (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann, a known hardline Sikh leader, has periodically stirred up Punjab’s electoral politics. Mr. Mann’s victory from Sangrur parliamentary constituency in the 2022 by-election pointed to the fragmentation within the ‘Panthic’ political space.

While the battle to garner ‘Panthic’ support among different political and other outfits has been going on, political observers feel the underlying strategic shifts amid speculation of a renewed SAD-BJP tie-up ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections could reshape the electoral landscape in the State.

Strong ‘tribal instinct’

Analysing the social engineering of Akali politics, Kehar Singh, former head of the Department of Political Science at Punjabi University, believes that the traditional agrarian Jat Sikh electorate functioning as the core support base of Akali Dal possesses a strong “tribal instinct” and maintaining unity within this core support base is inherently difficult without a viable path to authority.

“Power is the glue which can keep them together, otherwise, they’ll just split into various groups and different loyalties. If they see that there is any prospect of coming to power through an alliance with the BJP, it becomes an attraction point to rally around Sukhbir Singh Badal,” he said.

“Without an alliance, neither the BJP nor any individual Akali faction represents a standalone viable political option in Punjab. While formal announcements are yet to be made, a revived SAD-BJP partnership would fundamentally alter the dynamics of the upcoming contest in Punjab as their contesting individually would give an advantage to the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Their joining hands will bring the SAD-BJP both into the reckoning,” he said.