Amarinder and Punjab CM Badal exchange sweets, flowers

Bitter political rivals Amarinder Singh of the Congress and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday exchanged sweets and flowers through emissaries.

This show of bonhomie - even if only for a while - between the two came on a day when their parties, the opposition Congress and the ruling Shiromali Akali Dal in Punjab, are holding rallies in Bathinda and Patiala respectively.

Amarinder sent sweets and flowers, plucked from the garden of his estate in Patiala, to Badal through a close aide.

In return, Badal greeted Amarinder Singh, deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, on his appointment as chief of the Punjab unit of the Congress and sent a bouquet of flowers, a fruit basket and five boxes of sweets.

Amarinder Singh will formally take over as Punjab Congress president at the Tuesday public rally in Bathinda, the stronghold of the ruling Badal family.

The Shiormani Akali Dal is holding its 'Sadbhavana' rally in Patiala, the hometown of Amarinder Singh.

After the Akalis announced their Patiala rally, Amarinder said the Badals would be given sweets and flowers over his appointment as Punjab Congress chief.