In a significant voice against a renewed alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), senior BJP leader and National Commission for Minorities Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal has said the party’s veteran leaders in Punjab are not in favour of a fresh tie-up with the Akalis.Grewal is not alone. Most of the BJP’s traditional leaders, who have an RSS background and have risen through the ranks, told The Tribune that they were against the proposed alliance.Talking to The Tribune, Grewal said BJP workers had spent years building the party’s base in Punjab and that an alliance could prove counterproductive. While he currently heads a national body, he said he continued to work at the grassroots level, travelling across the state to bring more people into the BJP fold.He said the final decision would rest with the party high command and that lower-level leaders would have little say in the matter. His remarks come amid renewed speculation that the BJP and the SAD, former allies, could join hands again. The SAD exited the NDA in 2020 over the Centre’s farm laws, ending a partnership that dated back to the late 1990s.Grewal said two distinct views existed within the party. According to him, some BJP leaders, particularly those who joined from other parties, as well as a section of the public, believe an alliance was necessary to win elections. However, the party’s core leadership and long-time workers, many of whom had been associated with the BJP for four to five decades, favoured going it alone.“Governments come and go, but nationalist ideology must flourish in Punjab,” Grewal said. He argued that this could be achieved only if the RSS and the BJP continued to work across regions and communities, ensuring that Punjab remained connected to the national mainstream. Regardless of who was in power, he said, this ideological foundation must remain strong.Another senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the party had previously suffered because of the Akalis’ negative image and should avoid repeating the experience. He claimed several senior leaders had long complained that the SAD did not share power equitably with the BJP and that BJP leaders and workers received neither adequate representation nor respect.“Even if the alliance takes place, what is the guarantee that the Akalis will share key positions with the BJP? What is the guarantee that Akali workers will vote for BJP candidates?” he asked.He added that if an alliance were to materialise, the BJP should first clarify its chief ministerial face, as much would depend on who led the coalition.Another leader, also requesting anonymity, said the BJP’s booth-level workers and grassroots cadre were unhappy with the prospect of an alliance. For the past six years, he said, workers had toiled to establish the party as an independent force in Punjab, and a tie-up would undo much of that effort.“The BJP may never get another opportunity to contest on its own in Punjab,” he said.Punjab’s electorate, he argued, had traditionally voted for change and had shown a willingness to experiment with alternatives. “If people have experimented with the Aam Aadmi Party, they can experiment with the BJP as well,” he added.Yet another BJP leader said discussions over a possible alliance were already causing unrest within the party. “Several leaders who joined the BJP from other parties are exploring a change of constituency amid fears that the Akalis might stake claim to a larger number of seats if the alliance goes through. This is creating friction within the BJP camp,” he said.