BJP to contest all 117 Punjab seats alone in 2027 elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on Monday that it will contest all 117 seats in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, ending speculation about a potential alliance with its former partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). BJP national general secretary organization B.L. Santhosh made the declaration during a press conference in Patiala, stating the party is prepared to form its own government in the state. "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," Santhosh said. His statement on August 24, 2026, came as he began a two-day visit to Punjab to review the party's organizational preparedness. The assembly elections are expected to be held in February 2027. The announcement follows recent signals from the SAD that it was open to reviving its decades-old alliance with the BJP. Earlier in the week, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said people in Punjab wanted the two parties to reunite, citing the state's border status and the need to protect social harmony.