Amritsar, Oct. 9 -- Newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Pargat Singh and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge Sachin Pilot offered prayers at Golden Temple and other worship places associated to various communities on Thursday morning, staging a show of unity following months of bitter factionalism in the state unit. The visit marks the party's formal campaign launch in the state after weeks of leadership tension threatened to derail its political momentum ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. Pargat Singh, 61, a former Indian hockey captain, Olympian, and three-time MLA from Jalandhar Cantt, was appointed state party chief last week, replacing Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in a strategic overhaul by the high command to end factionalism. Upon their arrival at Amritsar airport, Pargat and Pilot were greeted by a strong gathering of party workers and supporters celebrating to the beat of traditional dhols. The duo, flanked by the party's Majha leaders, proceeded directly to the Golden Temple to offer shukrana (thanksgiving) and seek blessings. Pilot, accompanied by Pargat, personally drove the car from the airport and throughout the visit to the various religious places. Pargat, after being appointed as Punjab Congress president, travelled directly from Delhi to Amritsar. The unified turnout was specifically designed to project alignment among key regional heavyweights who had previously backed opposing camps. "Today, I came here to offer shukrana and seek blessings for the journey ahead," Pargat told reporters outside the shrine. His itinerary also included visits to the Durgiana Temple,St Paul's Church and RamTirath Temple to reinforce an inclusive outreach acrosscommunities. Pargat said, "Punjab's unique identity lies in its rich religious and cultural heritage and its tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood. The land of Punjab has always taught respect for different faiths, communities and viewpoints, while placing humanity above all else." Speaking on the occasion, Pilot said the land of Punjabhad always conveyed the message of humanity, service, sacrifice, brotherhood and social harmony. He said visiting the various religious places in Amritsar was not merely an expression of religious faith, but also an opportunity to reconnect with Punjab's glorious heritage, which inspired people to move forward with mutual love and harmony. He said Punjab's rich religious and cultural heritage was a source of inspiration for the entire country. He called upon people to further strengthen mutual respect, unity and brotherhood among all religions and communities. During the visit, Pargat and Pilot also enjoyed tea at Amritsar's noted Giani Tea Stall, remarking that a visit to Amritsar was never complete without a cup of tea. They also visited the family of former Improvement Trust chairman Dinesh Bassi, who was recently arrested in connection with a fraud case. The show of unity was joined by former minister Vijay Inder Singla, who was a top contender for the PPCC chief post alongside Pargat, as well as Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy chief minister OP Soni, former Speaker Rana KP, former ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Anil Joshi and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and several sitting and former MLAs. Working president Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Congress co-in-charge Suraj Singh Thakur and a number of party leaders from across the state were also present. "Today, we came here under the leadership of Sachin Pilot. We will all work together as one team for the welfare of Punjab," said Verka, underscoring the collective effort to put internal squabbles behind them....