A “cordial” meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Parliament last Friday has revived speculation about a possible rapprochement between the BJP and its former ally in Punjab.Even as the meeting has triggered political chatter in the state, there is little clarity in either camp on whether the two parties are actually headed for an alliance ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.AdvertisementThe 10-minute meeting was significant largely because it happened openly in Parliament unlike earlier closed-door meetings between the two sides preceding the collapse of talks ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.“Pradhanji (Sukhbir Singh Badal) met the PM after a long time. Hence, if people are speculating, what can we say about it? As the meeting happened publicly, speculation has gained momentum,” a senior SAD leader said.Seat-sharing had proved contentious ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the BJP was keen to contest five of Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats, while the SAD was reportedly willing to concede four.AdvertisementAlso Read | Punjab AAP hits reset in seats before 2027 elections, sparks ticket struggleAdding more buzz to the reunion was the SAD calling for the immediate passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill and a “fair and equitable” delimitation exercise a day after the Badal-Modi meeting.While the SAD’s position was welcomed by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in a social media post, it drew criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, as well as Trinamool Congress MPs.However, general secretary of the Punjab BJP Anil Sarin chose to leave the question open-ended. “It is unclear what was discussed in the meeting. However, the way the SAD extended support to women’s reservation as well as delimitation indicates that the two issues were discussed,” he said, adding that the BJP was organisationally preparing for all 117 seats.Privately, BJP leaders acknowledge that any alliance with the SAD would look very different from the arrangement that existed before the two parties parted ways in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. Under the old formula, the BJP contested 23 of the 117 Assembly seats, while the SAD contested 94. “The BJP can no longer play the role of the younger brother in Punjab,” a BJP source said.Also Read | A 10-minute meeting, a 2027 signal? Modi-Sukhbir meet fuels Punjab alliance buzzPointing out that workers of both parties get along on the ground, the source said the alliance could potentially create “a wave of communal harmony” in the state.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon also welcomed the Modi-Badal meeting but maintained that the party was preparing to contest all 117 seats.Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who has been active in Punjab, was more direct. On Monday, he ruled out the prospect of reuniting with the SAD. “There is no such thing. The BJP’s alliance in Punjab is with its people. The PM’s doors are open for everyone (to meet),” he said.Sources, meanwhile, said that Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will hold rallies in the state while more announcements for Punjab were in the offing.SAD split on issue?While Badal himself on Monday evaded questions on the alliance, SAD leaders have publicly dismissed speculations. Senior party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar said the party’s support for delimitation was “entirely based on Punjab’s interests”. “With the Centre now proposing a uniform 50% increase in Lok Sabha seats, Punjab could have around 20 seats instead of 18 under a population-based calculation,” he added.Sikander Singh Maluka, another SAD leader, said the demand for an alliance was emanating from the grassroots. “An alliance between the two is the voice from the grassroots, from the cadres of both parties. But alliance or no alliance is entirely the call of both parties,” he said.Also Read | Day after PM meet, Sukhbir Singh Badal backs ‘fair and equitable’ delimitationThe SAD’s lone Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also steered clear of the alliance issue. “I wasn’t part of that meeting and hence can’t say what all was discussed in that meeting,” she said.Another SAD insider, however, said an alliance could materialise if the two sides arrived at a mutually acceptable seat-sharing formula. “It cannot happen if one party bends too much,” he said.The poll mathThe electoral arithmetic makes a possible rapprochement difficult to dismiss.In 2019, the BJP and SAD together polled 37.08% of the votes and won two Lok Sabha seats each. In 2024, contesting separately, the BJP’s vote share rose from 9.63% to 18.56%, while the SAD’s fell from 27.45% to 13.42%. Their combined vote share was 31.98% — higher than the Congress’s 26.3% and AAP’s 26.02%.Despite this, the BJP won no seat and SAD just one, while the Congress won seven and the AAP three.“Votes alone are not enough, winning seats matters. Both parties have understood their strengths and weaknesses. An alliance is in the best interest of both parties and even Punjab, as a government working in coordination with the Centre can deliver better results,” a senior SAD leader said.Sources in both parties said the alliance question was also being viewed against the political space emerging in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The AAP, they said, was facing anti-incumbency on multiple fronts, while the Congress continued to grapple with factionalism.