The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday evening announced it would quit the ruling National Democratic Alliance, a decision that reflects the success of the protests on the ground against the Narendra Modi government’s farm bills.

The pullout by its oldest ally, within months of the Shiv Sena’s exit, will be a blow to the BJP even though it does not pose any threat to the government — the Akalis have a total of five MPs.

Harsimrat Badal, the lone Akali minister in the Modi cabinet, had earlier resigned in protest against the “anti-farmer” bills being steamrollered through Parliament. Party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Saturday “they tried to convince the BJP” to withdraw the bills but were “ignored”.

Reports from the ground suggested the Akalis had no option but to quit to show they were with the farmers, their core support base.

The Centre has so far played down the protests.