India, Feb. 10 -- CHANDIGARH

In the run-up to the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will kick off constituency-wise rallies starting February 17 from Qadian.

The rallies, led by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, will continue until April, pause for the wheat harvest, and resume in May to cover all constituencies.

The SAD, which was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from 1996 until severing ties in September 2020 over the farmers' protests against the now-repealed farm laws, has faced electoral setbacks in recent years. In the 2022 Punjab assembly polls, the SAD won just three seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SAD won only the Bathinda seat.

The rallies will see Sukhbir joined by a ...