Cong bid to end feuds in Punjab unit

The ongoing crisis in the Punjab unit of the Congress might be resolved this week. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has summoned Punjab Congress MLAs and members to Delhi to hold talks with them in batches. The first batch met him last week. The second batch is to meet him on Monday. He is holding one-on-one talks with each legislator to ascertain the problems dogging the party. Each legislator has been given 15 minutes to put across his point of view.

The party's state unit has been divided into two camps, with one owing allegiance to former chief minister and the Maharaja of Patiala Amrinder Singh and another to PCC chief P S Bajwa. Amrinder Singh has threatened to quit the Congress. Assembly elections in Punjab are due in 2017 and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has emerged a new entrant on the political scene. All through September, the party held a series of very successful rallies in various parts of Punjab. They were dubbed as "Punjab Jodo" (unite Punjab) rallies. AAP leader Bhagwant Mann and other speakers promised to get the state rid of the drug menace, corruption, dynastic politics, farm crisis and put the state back on the path of prosperity - all issues that concern the people. Significantly, one rally was held in Lambi, the stronghold of the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch, Parkash Singh Badal. It drew a massive crowd on a working day throwing an open challenge to the Badals.