Cong working on peace deal between Amarinder, Bajwa

Chandigarh, July 22
After a “show of strength” staged by former Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in the name of his mass contact programme, the Congress leadership has initiated efforts with a renewed vigour to strike rapprochement between top state leaders – Captain and PPCC chief Partap Bajwa.
The party, sources said, was disturbed over what was being termed as “irreconcilable differences” between the two leaders. It has deputed two senior leaders —Digvijay Singh and Oscar Fernandes — to iron out differences between the two.
Striking unity between the two top leaders however, would be a Herculean task for anyone at this juncture, except for the direct intervention of top leaders —Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.
While Amarinder might not settle for the second best like the chairmanship of the party’s campaign committee, Bajwa was unwilling to leave control of the PPCC presidentship.
Amarinder was not available even as one of his aides said he was not aware about the “rapprochement move” of the party. The sources said Bajwa was ready for unity only in case, he was asked to step down by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
AICC general secretary and in charge of party’s Punjab affairs Dr Shakeel Ahmed is already trying to bring the two together.
“The Congress leadership is abreast with the latest developments in the state unit. The party high command wants to send across the message of unity to people and workers in the state. There is no communication gap between the two leaders. Holding separate rallies is not an indicator of differences and at the same time, not considered an act of indiscipline,” said Dr Ahmed.
He denied the possibility of any organisatinal shake-up in the near future and cropping up of names of senior leaders like Ambika Soni as frontrunners for the PPCC top slot. “I have been hearing such rumours for months and you will continue to hear these in near future,” he said.