Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday ruled out any alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. He announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight the polls independently.

Shah made the announcement while addressing the Badlaav Rally in Killi Chahlan village of Moga district. The event marked the start of the party’s campaign in Punjab, particularly in the politically important Malwa region.

He said the BJP will no longer play the role of a “junior partner” in the state’s politics and will now aim to form its own government.

“Whenever we came before you in the past, we were the junior partner. But from today, the BJP begins its campaign to form its own government in Punjab. You have tried the Congress, the Akalis, and AAP; now give us a chance,” he said.

BJP Pushes for ‘Double-Engine’ Government

Shah promised that a BJP government in Punjab would work with the Centre to address the state’s major problems, especially drug trafficking and rising debt.

He said the party wants to establish a “double-engine government,” a term used by the BJP to describe a state government that works in alignment with the central government.

Shah launched the campaign from the Malwa belt, which holds significant political weight in Punjab elections.

BJP’s 19 Percent Vote Share Argument

Shah referred to the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Indian general election in Punjab. Even though the party did not win any seats, it secured about 19% of the vote share in the state.

He said the BJP has previously used similar vote shares as a base to form governments in other states.

According to him, the party rose to power after starting with similar numbers in states such as Assam, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Manipur.

Anti-Conversion Law Promise

To consolidate support among Hindu and urban voters, Shah promised that the BJP would introduce an anti-conversion law if it forms the government in Punjab.

“Our Sikh Gurus made supreme sacrifices against forced conversions. Yet, the Congress and AAP treat those behind these conversions as a vote bank,” Shah alleged. He added, “Give BJP the mandate in 2027, and we will bring an anti-conversion Bill within a month of taking office.”

Sharp Attack on AAP Government

Shah also criticised the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party. He accused Mann of working mainly to serve party chief Arvind Kejriwal rather than focusing on Punjab’s development.

“The chief minister is merely working as a pilot. His only job is to fly (AAP national convener) Arvind Kejriwal across the country on Punjab’s state-funded aircraft,” Shah said. He further alleged that Punjab’s treasury has effectively become an “ATM” for the party’s national political activities.

Focus on Drug Problem

Shah also addressed the serious drug trafficking issue in Punjab. He said reports suggest that about 45% of heroin smuggling in India is linked to Punjab.

“I assure you, within two years of forming a BJP government, we will wipe out this business entirely,” he said.

He compared the proposed crackdown to the central government’s actions against Naxalism and the removal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir.

Long BJP–Akali Alliance Ended

For more than two decades, the BJP was a junior partner in its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. During that period, the party usually contested only 23 out of Punjab’s 117 Assembly seats.

However, the partnership collapsed in 2020 after disagreements over the now-repealed farm laws.

In the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, the BJP contested 73 seats but won only two, securing a vote share of about 6.6%. The Aam Aadmi Party won a massive victory with 92 seats.

Despite that result, the BJP has strengthened its organisation in Punjab over the past two years by bringing in leaders from the Congress and the Akali Dal.