Bonhomie between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP was on display at the wedding reception of BJP national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal’s daughter in Chandigarh, with a photograph of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal posing with senior BJP leaders going viral on social media amid renewed speculation about an alliance between the two parties.The photograph shows Sukhbir with Punjab BJP president Jattvibeil Jakhar, former minister Vijay Sampla and former MLA Jagdeep Nakai. Also in the frame are BJP district presidents Jagbir Brar (Jalandhar Rural), Amarpal Singh Binu Ajnala (Amritsar Rural) and Kuldeep Singh (Muktsar).The reception was attended by leaders from across the political spectrum. Sukhbir and Manpreet are cousins, and the occasion was largely a family affair. However, the photograph of the Akali chief posing alongside a group of BJP leaders from Punjab has acquired political significance amid speculation that the two parties could join hands again ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.The SAD and the BJP, once longstanding political allies in Punjab, parted ways in 2020 over the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws. Since then, the two parties have contested elections separately, while periodic speculation about a reunion has surfaced without any formal move by either side.