A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday has triggered speculation about a possible revival of the BJP-SAD alliance ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.

After the meeting, Badal said he had discussed issues concerning Punjab with the Prime Minister but did not comment on speculation about a political alliance. Neither the PMO nor the SAD issued an official statement on the meeting.

The BJP, meanwhile, has maintained that it is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats independently. Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said Badal's meeting with Modi should be viewed in the context of issues concerning Punjab and reiterated the party's plan to contest all seats on its own. BJP spokesperson RP Singh also said the meeting did not indicate any alliance or compromise and that the party remained prepared to fight all 117 constituencies.

In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, the SAD won three seats and the BJP secured two.