The Bihar election result seems to have a positive impact on the Congress organisation too. The party’s Punjab unit, which was witnessing severe infight between the factions supported by Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh and Punjab PCC president Partap Singh Bajwa. Singh, who was apparently miffed at Congress high command’s support to Bajwa, has been sending indications that he will rebel against the leadership.

On Monday, apparently sounding truce, Singh said that time had come for vice president Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party, particularly after his important contribution during the Bihar elections that reversed the BJP tide.

“Rahul had proved his leadership skills in Bihar where not only did the Congress make massive improvements over the 2010 tally, but also made immense contribution to the grand alliance’s impressive victory,” Singh told reporters in Patiala.

Maintaining that time has come for Rahul Gandhi to take the lead, Singh said Rahul’s role in cementing together of the grand alliance and its eventual win in Bihar was being understated. “The result is before all of us and Rahul duly deserves the credit for the same”, he said. Singh had earlier stated that Rahul Gandhi is inexperienced to be the party president.

The Congress leadership has been trying to placate both the factions in the State. The party is now trying to take the issue of law and order against the NDA government in the State. Rahul Gandhi will lead a party delegation to visit President Pranab Mukherjee and demand a probe into the police firing that left two people dead in Punjab's Faridkot last month.

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