New Delhi, January 5
After day-long hectic efforts, the Congress central leadership managed to broker peace between the warring groups of the Punjab Congress and urged them to work unitedly for the Lok Sabha poll.

A peace package, agreeable to both the factions, was hammered out following separate meetings with all legislators, especially called to the Capital for the final round of consultations, and a late night meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The details of the compromise formula are expected to be worked out tomorrow when the four-member AICC panel meets Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. It is, however, learnt there is unlikely to be a leadership change and instead efforts will be made to accommodate the rebels both in the Cabinet and the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Emerging from the meeting with Ms Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister and Ms.Bhattal, who have been at loggerheads, appeared together before waiting mediapersons. The chief minister maintained that “there were no differences between us”, adding that the main objective before them was to win the Lok Sabha poll.

Ms Bhattal, who had been demanding the Chief Minister’s removal, stated that she had left the final decision to the party president, adding that though she had been asking for a leadership change, she was not pressing for it now.

Indications were that the Congress central leadership will not remove the Chief Minister as demanded by the rebels, particularly since the General Election is barely three months away. At the same time, it recognised that the dissidents have genuine grievances which need to be addressed.

Given this situation, the effort was to arrive at a solution which accommodates both groups, without alienating either. Among the various options being discussed includes a revamp of the PPCC along with a Cabinet reshuffle so as to accommodate the rebel group.

At the same time, the Chief Minister will be told to change his style of functioning, which is the main grouse of the dissidents. The old offer of Deputy Chief Minister’s post for a representative of the dissident group may also be revived.

Earlier during the day, all legislators, including the Chief Minister and the chief dissident Ms. Bhattal, were heard individually by the AICC panel, comprising senior leaders Pranab Mukherjee, Mohsina Kidwai, Ahmed Patel and Manmohan Singh.

The legislators, who had camped here for nearly 10 days last month to press their demand for the Chief Minister’s removal, were again asked about their grievances by the AICC panel and the functioning of the state party unit. In addition, the Congress central leadership also used this opportunity to assess the party’s position in each of the assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.

Although publicly the rebel group continued to stand by its demand for “leadership change”, they were in a far more mellowed mood than seen last month. Ms Bhattal, too, had dropped her confrontationist stance today when she admitted that the Chief Minister had made efforts to rectify his mistakes. At the same time, she reposed faith in Ms Gandhi’s leadership, stating that she would abide by the decision of the party president.

“The Lok Sabha elections are coming. We need to see what should be done to make the party strong. We are here to discuss how to prepare the party for the Lok Sabha poll in the state,” she maintained.