In a significant development ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking speculation around the future of the erstwhile allies.This was the first official engagement between the two since the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) parted ways with the BJP-led NDA coalition in September 2020 at the height of the anti-farm law protests.The meeting, held in Parliament House Complex, was one-on-one, with the two leaders learnt to have discussed the challenges facing the border state. The former allies have lived through a prolonged spell of frost and tensions with today’s meeting being seen across political circles as a sign of thaw.Speaking to The Tribune, SAD leader Naresh Gujral welcomed the engagement and said the meeting signified that both sides understood the sensitivities of Punjab and had a shared interest in its wellbeing. Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, however, continued to insist on going it alone. “I see this as a good sign. Old strains appear to be Everyone can see the dangers facing Punjab. It was a cordial meeting and not a cold one. It signals that the door that was closed for years is slightly ajar now,” Gujral said when asked if he saw the meeting as a sign of old allies coming back together.Gujral also mentioned the timing of the meeting—on the eve of crucial pending legislative agenda of the NDA government, including the delimitation and women’s reservation and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bills. “We have only one vote in the Lok Sabha, which is hardly of much importance but the government obviously would like to engage everyone. Further, with Punjab elections coming, both sides are bound to try and assess what the other is thinking. In Punjabi parlance, I would say this meeting was a ‘muh dikhayi’, and not a ‘roka’ yet,” Gujral quipped, indicating that the engagement itself was crucial considering previous frosty ties.The meeting also came close on the heels of a letter SAD Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a CBI probe into alleged paper leaks in AAP-ruled Punjab.Both these engagements, put together, point to SAD and BJP re-engaging after six years, with sections in both SAD and BJP terming the development as good.Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, when contacted, said the PM was a public figure and anyone could meet him. “I see the meeting as a sign of something good for Punjab. As far as I am concerned as the BJP state chief, we are fighting alone on all 117 seats,” Dhillon said even as SAD leaders sufficed to describe today’s development as “welcome”.The development follows a June visit of BJP chief Nitin Nabin to Punjab where, speaking at a media event in Jalandhar, he had made important comments when asked if the BJP and the SAD could ally for the 2027 elections. “We want to move forward in Punjab on our own strength. Certain things are in the womb of time and will be solved when the time comes…. As far as the alliance goes, there’s a lot of time for that to be decided. Today is not the time for assessment of this issue. Let the time come,” Nabin had said.Sources in Punjab said while veteran Akalis appeared to favour an alliance, the PM-Sukhbir meeting has caused some unease among BJP leaders, especially those who had joined the party in anticipation of an election ticket. Former BJP state president Jattvibeil Jakhar and ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh have for long been speaking in favour of an alliance.Meanwhile, both the SAD and Punjab BJP have been grappling with internal challenges.The BJP has witnessed differences among senior leaders, with former minister Tikshan Sud openly expressing dissatisfaction with the current state leadership.The SAD, too, has been facing organisational challenges and factionalism. Several senior leaders have regrouped under the breakaway faction SAD-Punar Surjit. On the other hand, Akali Dal-Waris Punjab De, led by SAD rebel and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, has been working to expand its influence, particularly in rural areas.An Akali insider said as the Congress, SAD and the BJP all were facing intense infighting, the latter two had the best chance to win if they formed an alliance.Senior SAD leader and former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said it was too early to jump to conclusions. “Having said that, naturally, in politics, nothing is an informal chat. Since the meeting has taken place, certainly the issues of Punjab and how AAP’s misrule is harming the state would have been discussed,” he said.