After Parkash Singh Badal's Demise, What's Next For BJP And SAD In The State

PM Narendra Modi's visit to pay respects to Parkash Singh Badal is seen as a sign that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) may reconcile their differences and form an alliance in Punjab.

This signals a return to their past relationship according to political analysts in the state.

As reported by The Tribune, according to a close associate of the late Badal, the Prime Minister's visit to pay respects is significant, and with the political landscape in Punjab, a reconciliation between the estranged partners may be possible, making his visit influential.

PM Modi respected the senior Badal and called him the Nelson Mandela of Indian politics. Haryana Chief Minister Khattar arrived at the hospital shortly after Badal's death was announced.

The party president, JP Nadda, will attend the cremation ceremony in Badal village today (27 April).

The president of BJP in Punjab, Ashwani Sharma, stated that it is not appropriate to associate their admiration for Indian politics' eminent figure with any potential collaborations.

He acknowledged Badal as an exceptional individual and expressed his admiration for Badal's simplicity. Despite being much younger than him, he was captivated by Badal's humility when he saw him off at his residence's gate a few years ago.

Despite opposition from senior leaders, Badal remained loyal to the BJP since 1996 with unconditional support.

Amid growing opposition to the farm bills, Badal reassured that the Centre will continue to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat and rice.

However, merely a few weeks ahead of their centenary celebrations in December 2020, the Parkash Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked out of the National Democratic Alliance, that is the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in the Centre.

The face of the SAD in the Centre, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the then Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Industries, led the walkout, contradicting her own stand on the three progressive farm laws.

A year later, the repeal of the three farm laws, ahead of the Assembly Elections in Punjab, was not enough to get back the SAD into the NDA fold, but by then, they had been conveniently replaced by Captain Amarinder Singh, another Punjabi leader who had failed to read the writing on the wall.

Without being a part of the NDA, can the Akalis win back the state alone in 2027 or even half of the Lok Sabha seats in 2024 — and if they are to play a second fiddle in a coalition, would they rather be with the AAP, eroding their vote share like a political parasite in the alliance — or with their decades-old trusted partner, the BJP; that brings them the Hindu vote, the cabinet berth, and an opportunity to fix their infamous reputation?