Amarinder to attend Sidhu's installation ceremony on July 23

Sidhu and Amarinder Singh have been at loggerheads for the past some time

Signs of a thaw emerged in the frosty political scenario in Punjab Congress with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh deciding to attend an event on Friday where newly-appointed PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu will formally take over.

Singh has, however, also invited all Congress Punjab MLAs, MPs and senior party functionaries at Punjab Bhawan for tea at 10 am on Friday, a day after nearly 60 of 80 MLAs of the state had gathered at the new residence of Sidhu in Amritsar on Wednesday, from where they went together to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. Sidhu's gathering was interpreted as a show of strength.

The Captain's team meet is likely to be attended by most MLAs and later, all of them will go to Punjab Bhawan to attend the event the installation of the new PPCC team, which will also be attended by AICC general secretary in-charge for Punjab, Harish Rawat.

Read more: Sidhu to take charge as Punjab Congress chief on July 23, to invite Amarinder for event

The decision by the Chief Minister announced by his media advisor indicates a serious reach-out exercise by Sidhu and the central leadership of the party. This is to placate the CM, who was adamant not to meet Sidhu till he apologised for his previous critical comments of his government.

Kuljit Singh Nagra and Sangat Singh Gilzian, two of the four newly appointed working presidents for the state party unit, went to meet the CM at his farmhouse in Mohali to extend a formal invitation to him for the event.

On July 20, the CM's media advisor had put out a tweet saying the reports of Sidhu seeking time to meet the CM are completely false. "No time has been sought whatsoever. No change in stance... CM won’t meet Navjot Singh Sidhu till latter publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him," he had tweeted.

The Congress leadership last week announced Sidhu's name for the PCC chief despite objections raised by the Chief Minister and his supporting MLAs and MPs, which was interpreted as sidelining the senior state leader in the party affairs and an attempt to create a new leadership.