Where feud casts its shadow

Though Badal8217;s associates say he undertook these visits to greet the leaders on the eve of Id, the political pundits, however, attribute this rare good-will gesture as an effort on his part to mobilise the second rung leaders, keeping in view the widening rift between Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president G. S. Tohra.

Earlier, on January 17, Badal succeeded in having an upper hand over two close associates of Tohra 8211; SGPC members Mohinder Diwan and Sita Munshiwala 8211; when he visited Malerkotla on the martyrdom day of Kukas.

On the same day, Diwan and Munshiwala along with Malkiat Singh Kitu, MLA from Barnala, and Parkash Chand Garg held a closed-door meeting at the Kuka Rest House near the venue of the function which was being attended by Badal.Malerkotla is likely to turn into a battlefield in the ever-widening differences between Badal and Tohra.