Navjot Singh Sidhu seems to have relented, after his muscle-flexing flopped, by agreeing to the lollypop of a coordination committee that is to ensure there is no communication gap between the Congress and its government in Punjab, sources said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has for long been relying on such committees to curb dissidence and manage differences, so the offer to Sidhu is doubtless far less than what he had asked for.

Some more consolation could be on offer in the next few days but the compromise was purportedly struck only after a huge climbdown by Sidhu, who resigned as Punjab Congress chief after taking an inflexible moral high ground and triggered an ugly political spectacle that badly dented the Congress’s image.

He is also learnt to have decided to withdraw his resignation.

Sources said Sidhu’s aides had managed to convince him that politics could not be based on emotions and rigid personal terms. The high command remained aloof to his tantrums, not sending even general secretary Harish Rawat to Punjab to resolve the crisis. Only Rajasthan minister Harish Chowdhary was part of the negotiations.

Even chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi didn’t show panic and refused to go to Patiala to meet Sidhu, who was sulking at his residence along with his aides.

Channi asked Sidhu to talk and waited for his response. The first signs of Sidhu relenting came on Thursday morning when he tweeted his decision to visit the party headquarters in Chandigarh in the afternoon. Channi, along with some ministers, held discussions for over two hours and left without talking to the media probably because issues hadn’t been satisfactorily resolved despite Sidhu’s decision to withdraw the resignation.

The party doesn’t want to send out an impression that Sidhu was dictating terms to the chief minister. Sidhu had objected to the appointment of advocate-general and director-general of police and any announcement at the party office to change the decisions would have established the party’s interference in governance.

Amarinder Singh, who declared his intent to leave the Congress, stressed the point, arguing that he never saw any party chief interfering in official matters like this.

Sources said Sidhu asserted at the meeting that he would not tolerate any tainted officer.

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar highlighted the point by tweeting on Thursday: “Enough is enough. Put an end to attempts to undermine the authority of the Chief Minister time and again. Aspersions being cast on selection of AG & DGP is actually questioning the integrity/competence of the Chief Minister and Home Minister to deliver results. It’s time to put the foot down and clear the air.”

Jakhar’s blunt articulation betrays the deep sense of disquiet in the party over Sidhu’s tactics. Many leaders, including party MPs Manish Tewari and Ravneet Bittu, criticised his attitude. There is a feeling among party leaders and workers that Priyanka Gandhi’s handling of Sidhu was responsible for the embarrassment the party suffered just before the election. There were murmurs that Priyanka again played a role in persuading Sidhu to withdraw his resignation.

While the majority of leaders feel Sidhu’s popularity had been dented, there is no doubt that he won’t be able to regain his political swagger and clout after resuming office. Many leaders wondered what if he threw more tantrums during the candidate selection after a few weeks. Channi, on the other hand, has enhanced his stature by demonstrating maturity and poise during this crisis.