Chandigarh, March 20 -- The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has begun reworking its electoral strategy with a renewed focus on urban constituencies after Union home minister Amit Shah announced on March 14 rally at Moga that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would contest the 2027 Punjab assembly elections independently.

The decision has left the SAD, led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, at a critical juncture, especially as sections within its cadre had been hopeful of reviving the alliance to improve electoral prospects in the polls scheduled for January 2027.

Shah's announcement is the clearest assertion yet by the saffron party's top leadership, debunking the confusion in its Punjab ranks on re-stitching an alliance with its one-time senior partner...