Senior BJP leader and former Punjab Cabinet minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi has declared that the era of an alliance between his party and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is over. In an exclusive interview with The Tribune, Sodhi asserted that the BJP is now strong enough to contest the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections independently.
BJP's Growing Strength in Punjab
Sodhi highlighted that the BJP's vote share in Punjab reached nearly 19 percent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He argued that the party needs only another 11 to 12 percentage points to secure a majority. "The time of the SAD-BJP alliance has passed. We are now strong enough to stand on our own," he said.
He emphasized that the BJP and SAD now have separate agendas, making a coalition counterproductive. "Forming an alliance at this stage would send a wrong signal to voters," Sodhi explained. "People have faith in us, and we do not want to create confusion."
Divergent Views Within BJP
Sodhi acknowledged that senior leader and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh remains a strong advocate of an alliance with the Akalis. However, Sodhi maintained a different perspective. "Captain Sahib has his own ideas, and I respect whatever he speaks," Sodhi said, while reiterating that the two parties' divergent priorities leave little room for a tie-up "at the moment."
Criticism of Congress and AAP
Turning to the Congress, Sodhi blamed the party's decline in Punjab squarely on indecisiveness at the top, holding Rahul Gandhi responsible for a series of missteps. "When you don't understand the subject, you become a confused man, and when you become a confused man, you make wrong decisions," Sodhi said, accusing Gandhi of failing to grasp core issues facing the state.
Sodhi also targeted the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of failing to deliver on its poll promises. "It is like you show somebody a 24-carat gold bangle and then give him something like brass. It is a fake, a total fake," he charged.
Background
Sodhi, who switched to the BJP from the Congress in November 2021, has been a vocal critic of both the opposition and the ruling parties. His comments come amid speculation about possible pre-poll alliances in Punjab ahead of the next assembly elections.
