In a crucial development, Rahul Gandhi on Monday held a meeting with AICC General Secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Punjab, particularly preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was also present at the meeting, it is learnt.Leaders privy to the details of the meeting said that, apart from discussions on the Punjab elections, plans for the proposed Rahul Gandhi Punjab tour in the first week of September were also discussed. The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has been asked to submit a detailed proposal on the itinerary of the Gandhi scion. There are plans for him to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, followed by a Congress-led bus yatra aimed at mobilising party workers and strengthening preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections.After meeting Rahul Gandhi, Baghel said, “The exact date, however, has not been finalised yet.” The visit has been pushed back by about a week from the earlier plan to hold it in the last days of August, said sources in the party.The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha’s proposed Punjab visit is expected to coincide with the party’s efforts to end the stalemate between the PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring faction and the former CM Charanjit Singh Channi faction. Leaders are hoping that Rahul will finally take a call on ending the crisis plaguing the state unit.During his visit to Barnala in February, Rahul had issued a stern warning, asking party leaders either to “work as a team or be prepared to sit at home”.“Rahul Gandhi will send a message of unity to state leaders. Some crucial decisions to achieve unity are expected in the coming days. The high command has already told the dissenting leaders that it will not act under pressure and will take a decision that is in sync with the ground reality,” said a senior leader privy to the development.Almost all dissenting leaders — including Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Dharamvira Gandhi, Sher Singh Ghubaya and Rana Gurjeet — have met AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal in the last few weeks.Meanwhile, the second phase of the ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ campaign in Doaba and Majha has been withheld until August 25. The launch of the second phase may coincide with Rahul’s Punjab visit. The first phase of the campaign, held between July 31 and August 8, was marred by chaos, with several events held under it being disrupted by sloganeering.The tussle over the state unit leadership came to the fore after the party decided to retain Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as its Punjab chief.