In this season of political heat, finding comfort in the many republics of the mango

While Modi referred simply to “Akali Dal” during his address in Jalandhar, Sukhbir Badal later maintained that the criticism was not aimed at the Shiromani Akali Dal but at another Akali faction. His interpretation has generated considerable discussion because the Prime Minister himself did not distinguish between different Akali groups. What did PM Modi say? Addressing a public rally in Jalandhar, Modi targeted Punjab’s three principal political rivals while projecting the BJP as the state’s only viable alternative.

He described the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as “kattar beimaan” (utterly dishonest), said the Congress remained trapped in internal power struggles, remarking that “inka to kissa kursi ka hi khatam nahin hota”, and added that “Akali Dal is no different”, alleging that internal selfish interests had prevented it from serving Punjab effectively.

At no point did the Prime Minister specify any particular Akali faction. He referred only to “Akali Dal”. Why did Sukhbir Badal’s response attract attention? Rather than treating Modi’s remarks as criticism of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Badal argued publicly that the Prime Minister was referring to Akali Dal Punar Surjit and other splinter Akali factions that have emerged in recent years.

That clarification surprised many political observers because Modi himself had made no distinction between the Shiromani Akali Dal and any other Akali outfit.

The response immediately prompted a political question: why did the SAD chief seek to distance his party from remarks that appeared to refer to the Akali Dal as a whole?

How do political observers view Badal’s statement? Political observers and leaders from both parties suggest more than one explanation.

One view is that by declining to interpret Modi’s remarks as a direct attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal, Badal avoided publicly escalating tensions with the BJP, the party’s ally for nearly 25 years.

A senior SAD leader said this should not be read as evidence of any behind-the-scenes negotiations but reflected a conscious decision not to further widen the political distance between the former allies. Why does the BJP-SAD relationship still matter? The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal shared one of India’s longest-running political alliances before parting ways in 2020.

Together, they governed Punjab three times. The BJP traditionally drew support from urban constituencies, traders and sections of the Hindu middle class, while the Shiromani Akali Dal remained dominant across large parts of rural Punjab and among sections of the Sikh electorate. The alliance allowed both parties to expand beyond their individual support bases.

What changed after 2020? The alliance collapsed in 2020 after the Shiromani Akali Dal walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the Centre’s three farm laws.

Since then, the two parties have fought the 2022 Punjab Assembly election and the 2024 Lok Sabha election separately.

Both have faced electoral challenges after the split. The BJP has continued to struggle to expand beyond its traditional urban base into rural Punjab, where the Akali Dal historically maintained strong organisational networks. The Shiromani Akali Dal, meanwhile, has found it difficult to regain political momentum without the BJP’s urban support base. It has also had to contend with anti-incumbency from its previous tenure a