The kirpan attack on Shiromani Akali Dal president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Nanded in Maharashtra this week—the second attempt on his life in less than two years—comes even as Badal struggles to reverse a decade-long electoral slide, searches for a way back to the ballot box, even as the shadow of the “beadbi” or “sacrilege” incidents of 2015 continue to cast a shadow over its leadership.Meanwhile, speculation about an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) former partner, refuses to subside in the run-up to the Assembly elections in February 2027.A troubled past revisitsThe attack came nearly 20 months after Badal survived a firing attempt outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar in December 2024, while serving a religious punishment (tankhah) imposed by the Akal Takht for the Akali Dal government’s handling of the sacrilege events at Bargari and the police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura.Investigators insist both attacks were carried out by individuals angered over sacrilege rather than organised terror modules, setting them apart from the wider pattern of militant strikes Punjab has witnessed.Panthic vote in fluxThe Akali Dal, once dominant, now faces stiff competition for panthic and Sikh votes. Waris Punjab De, led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, has drawn hardline support, while Damdami Taksal, which looks softer towards the BJP, has announced plans to contest elections.Adding complexity, Punjab’s Chief Minister recently expressed sympathy for Beant Singh assassination convict Jagtar Singh Hawara, who also claims the title of parallel Akal Takht Jathedar. These developments raise questions about who will capture the crucial Sikh vote in 2027.Pattern of violencePunjab has seen a spate of grenade and petrol bomb attacks on political offices and security installations, many traced to Pakistan’s ISI working through Khalistani outfits. The BJP offices in Chandigarh and Sangrur were targeted earlier this year, while senior leader Manoranjan Kalia’s Jalandhar residence was hit with a grenade. More than 30 grenade attacks have struck police posts since September 2024, underscoring the fragile security environment.Political reactionsThe Nanded attack drew condemnation by various parties, though many urged the Akali Dal to reflect on its handling of the sacrilege issue. SAD leaders Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema reiterated the party’s commitment to moderate Sikh ideology and accused communal forces of targeting its leadership. From prison, Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh, described the Akali Dal as an “eyesore” for anti-Sikh forces, citing past assassinations and attacks on its leaders.Dr Parmod Kumar of the Institute for Development and Communication, Chandigarh, placed the incident within Punjab’s longer political arc. He noted that moderate leadership has historically been the first target of radical politics. He warned that violent acts framed as religious revenge gain legitimacy when political leaders rationalise or celebrate them—a dangerous pattern Punjab witnessed in the 1980s, leading to institutional collapse and tragedy.(with inputs from Mohit Khanna)