The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced its decision to contest the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat in Punjab under its own party symbol, ‘takdi,’ or scales, for the first time since 1996. This move marks a significant departure from the SAD’s previous alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has traditionally contested the Gurdaspur seat. The SAD’s decision follows its withdrawal from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. The party has placed its bet on senior vice president Daljit Singh Cheema as its candidate for Gurdaspur. Cheema has dismissed the BJP’s claims that he is an ‘outsider,’ stating that he has strong ties to the constituency and has previously contested elections there. The BJP, on the other hand, has named local leader Dinesh Singh Babbu as its candidate, a move that Cheema attributes to the ‘negativity’ surrounding the BJP. The Gurdaspur seat has been a stronghold of the BJP, which has fielded Bollywood stars Vinod Khanna and Sunny Deol in the past. However, this time, the party has opted for a local candidate, which Cheema believes is an indication of the BJP’s declining popularity.