Ex-Punjab CM Bhattal meets Sonia,wants end to intra-party feud

Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today met party President Sonia Gandhi here and pressed for early resolution of the feud in the state unit.
Bhattal is learnt to have told the Congress President to send a fact-finding mission of party observers to resolve the internal rumblings soon and bring an end to the factionalism that may cost the party dear in the upcoming elections.
Sources close to the former chief minister said she had asked senior central leaders to engage with warring Punjab Congress leaders and end the crisis.
She has reportedly sought to resolve the leadership row by inducting a fresh face to steer the party forward and take all its leaders along.

Bhattal is learnt to have sought adoption of a middle path and asked the party high command to talk to both factions led by former chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and Pradesh Congress Committee President Partap Singh Bajwa, who are working at loggerheads with each other.
The sources said the leader wanted the issue to be resolved amicably as it was affecting the party prospects in the wake of strained ties between BJP and Akali Dal, which were sharing power in Punjab, over the issue of drugs.

Congress leaders feel that the state Congress leaders instead of fighting amongst themselves must unite to consolidate its position in the state and reach out to the common man to highlight the "mis-governance" and corruption in the SAD-BJP regime and help bring the party to power in the next elections.

Both Singh and Bajwa have already met the Congress top brass and complained against each other, with the former demanding the ouster of the PCC chief.
Punjab goes to polls in early 2017. Congress has lost two consecutive assembly elections to the ruling combine.