New Congress Punjab affairs in-charge Sachin Pilot’s maiden visit to Chandigarh tomorrow, after taking charge of his new assignment, will set in motion efforts to end the long-standing rift in the party’s state unit. The friction threatens to hurt the Congress’ electoral prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections.Pilot is scheduled to march from the Punjab Congress Bhawan in Sector 15 to the Sector 2 residence of Finance Minister Harpal Cheema over farm labourer Gulzar Singh’s suicide.Congress sources said Pilot’s visit would not only signal an attempt to broker peace among the party’s state leaders but also his broad acceptance among them. His predecessor Bhupesh Baghel was accused of siding with PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.“Seeing former CM Charanjit Channi, CLP leader Partap Bajwa and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa sharing a stage after months will send a wider message,” said a senior party leader.Having already battled intra-party issues and a bitter tussle with former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Pilot has to his credit leading the Congress to power in Rajasthan as its state chief. As the Punjab in-charge, he has his task cut out with the elections barely five months away.Randhawa said Pilot was a national leader and the state unit would benefit from his experience. Channi said he would participate in the march. Warring, who has been overseeing the arrangements for the march, said the party was united under Pilot to take on the ruling AAP government.However, a senior leader was sceptical about the outcome of the march. “These leaders might unite in front of Pilot. However, things will be back to square one if the underlying issue of changing the state leadership is not addressed,” he said.A confidant of MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Pilot has been welcomed by all party factions in Punjab. A Congress victory the Assembly elections would not only consolidate his position in the party but could also strengthen his prospects of emerging as the party’s chief ministerial face in Rajasthan Pilot is learnt to have told the state leaders that they would be contenders for the CM’s post only if the party comes to power.