‘Punjab Poised for NDA Administration’: Amit Shah Indicates BJP-Akali Partnership

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has indicated the possible formalisation of an alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal, along with breakaway Akali Dal factions, stating that Punjab is ready for an NDA coalition government.

Speaking at the launch of development projects in Delhi, Shah said, “Is baar Punjab mein NDA ki sarkar ban rahi hai.” His remarks have strengthened expectations that an agreement could be announced formally soon.

Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has been among the prominent supporters of a BJP-Akali alliance ahead of the upcoming elections. Discussions between the parties have reportedly continued for some time.

Shah also launched a sharp attack on the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), predicting that Congress would remain out of power for another 30 years because of what he described as its negative politics. He warned AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal that voters would remove his party’s government in Punjab.

Addressing a gathering in Dwarka, Shah accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of raising allegations of “vote theft” to protect what he described as the vote bank of infiltrators. He also criticised the Congress for questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission of India (ECI), arguing that the party accepts the institution when it wins elections but challenges it when it loses.

“I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that you want to save the votes of infiltrators by levelling allegations of vote theft,” Shah said. He added that the Congress’s electoral prospects would remain weak because of its political approach, asserting that the party would struggle to win elections over the next three decades.

Turning to Kejriwal, Shah accused the former Delhi chief minister of relying on protests and political campaigns while failing to resolve basic civic problems in the capital. He cited Delhi’s landfill sites, alleging that Kejriwal had failed to address the city’s massive waste dumps. Shah said the Centre was working to clear the sites and that they would eventually be converted into public gardens.

The political exchanges coincided with the launch and foundation-laying of 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth ₹8,941 crore. The initiatives focus on wastewater management, drinking-water infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.

Shah described the projects as the foundation of the river’s restoration, claiming that they represented more than 40 per cent of the progress towards the goal of cleaning the Yamuna. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened a meeting during the first month of the Delhi government’s formation to present his plan for the river’s rejuvenation to the Delhi government and the Ministry of Home Affairs.