NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday put speculation over an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal to rest, saying the saffron party will contest all 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections.BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh said the party was fully prepared for the polls and would form the government in Punjab.”Punjab is fully ready for change, and the BJP is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,” Santosh said.The statement comes days after speculation grew over a possible BJP-SAD alliance following SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also hinted at the possibility of the Akali Dal joining hands with the BJP again, while expressing a cryptic wish for “agreements” that brought progress to Punjab from Delhi.Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also said that people in Punjab want his party to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming polls.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesMajithia cited Punjab’s status as a border state and the need to protect social harmony and the state’s social fabric as reasons for public sentiment favouring a reunion.”We should understand that the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP have worked together. Vajpayee ji and Badal ji strengthened this alliance, and it continued during Modi ji’s time,” Majithia said.The SAD had parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance in September 2020 over the three farm laws, which were later repealed.Santosh began his two-day visit to Punjab to review the party’s organisational functioning and strengthen coordination and preparedness at the grassroots level in the poll-bound state.His visit comes amid dissent within the BJP’s state unit over a recent organisational reshuffle, with a section of leaders accusing the state leadership of sidelining the old cadre.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada‘Watching Your Every Move’: Fresh Threat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In J&KChennai Murder Mystery: Woman’s Remains Found on Tamil Nadu Express, Police Hunt Couple in Odisha’No Full Press Conference’: US Envoy Gor On India’s ‘No Questions’ Request Before Modi-Trump Meet‘Represented India In 3 Nations’: Former Envoy Flags ‘Trouble Establishing Citizenship’ During SIRJaish Rebuilds Bahawalpur Complex Struck By India During Op Sindoor’India Can Attract Global Talent With Your Help’: PM Modi Meets Space Startups On National Space Day123PhotostoriesSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wildBlood sugar running high despite cutting back on sweets? 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NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday put speculation over an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal to rest, saying the saffron party will contest all 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections.BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh said the party was fully prepared for the polls and would form the government in Punjab.”Punjab is fully ready for change, and the BJP is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,” Santosh said.The statement comes days after speculation grew over a possible BJP-SAD alliance following SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also hinted at the possibility of the Akali Dal joining hands with the BJP again, while expressing a cryptic wish for “agreements” that brought progress to Punjab from Delhi.Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also said that people in Punjab want his party to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming polls.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesMajithia cited Punjab’s status as a border state and the need to protect social harmony and the state’s social fabric as reasons for public sentiment favouring a reunion.”We should understand that the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP have worked together. Vajpayee ji and Badal ji strengthened this alliance, and it continued during Modi ji’s time,” Majithia said.The SAD had parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance in September 2020 over the three farm laws, which were later repealed.Santosh began his two-day visit to Punjab to review the party’s organisational functioning and strengthen coordination and preparedness at the grassroots level in the poll-bound state.His visit comes amid dissent within the BJP’s state unit over a recent organisational reshuffle, with a section of leaders accusing the state leadership of sidelining the old cadre.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada‘Watching Your Every Move’: Fresh Threat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In J&KChennai Murder Mystery: Woman’s Remains Found on Tamil Nadu Express, Police Hunt Couple in Odisha’No Full Press Conference’: US Envoy Gor On India’s ‘No Questions’ Request Before Modi-Trump Meet‘Represented India In 3 Nations’: Former Envoy Flags ‘Trouble Establishing Citizenship’ During SIRJaish Rebuilds Bahawalpur Complex Struck By India During Op Sindoor’India Can Attract Global Talent With Your Help’: PM Modi Meets Space Startups On National Space Day123PhotostoriesSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wildBlood sugar running high despite cutting back on sweets? Doctors explain 5 nutrients that may help your body manage glucose better‘She believed in the old nuskhas’: Karisma Kapoor reveals her grandmother’s skincare secret that the Kapoor clan adoptedArchana Puran Singh’s son Aaryamann Sethi set to buy his first luxurious house; tells Parmeet, ‘Your son is becoming a man’Kiara Advani’s black velvet saree is proof that gothic glam looks better with a desi twistFrom water filters to kitchen bowls: 5 practical uses of coconut shell123Hot PicksTCS laptop monitoring softwareSchool holiday todayKPMG AustraliaTrump tariffIOB LBO recruitmentNEET UG 2026Parandur airportSIM card rulesNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingMumbai Auto Driver ProtestReservation Hatao AndolanKurukshetra MurderPunjab SIRCM VijayDelhi ITO AccidentChennai MurderGodhani Water Plant Gas LeakAmravati Hospital FireAston Martin Crash


No alliance with SAD? BL Santosh says BJP to go solo in Punjab polls

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday put speculation over an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal to rest, saying the saffron party will contest all 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections.BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh said the party was fully prepared for the polls and would form the government in Punjab.“Punjab is fully ready for change, and the BJP is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,” Santosh said.The statement comes days after speculation grew over a possible BJP-SAD alliance following SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had also hinted at the possibility of the Akali Dal joining hands with the BJP again, while expressing a cryptic wish for “agreements” that brought progress to Punjab from Delhi.Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also said that people in Punjab want his party to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming polls.

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