Congress in Punjab is witnessing a rift within itself as some leaders are openly voicing out their displeasure over the newly constituted mega Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) by party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Leaders have been grumbling about "favouritism", "poor representation" and "back-stabbing" in an indirect reference to committee leader Partap Singh Bajwa.
The PPCC comprising 14 vice presidents, 35 general secretaries, 61 secretaries and 148 members, is set to meet on January 6.
While Punjab Mahila Congress chief Malti Thapar is miffed at "poor representation" to women in the new PPCC, Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar had openly taken on Bajwa alleging favouritism in the committee.
Thapar accused the party high command of "fooling women" after promising them 33 per cent reservation in ticket allotment.
"So heavily loaded is it in favour of his (Bajwa's) loyalists that the list (of PPCC appointees) has become redundant," Kumar had said.
Senior most General Secretary of PPCC, Jagmohan Singh Kang had on Tuesday said that he would not go along with Bajwa.
Threatening to quit the PPCC, the three-time MLA and former minister termed Bajwa as "arrogant".
"I have been made General Secretary in total disregard to my merit and seniority in Congress in which I have been serving for the last 39 years," Kang had said.
Earlier, a senior party leader from Sunam, Aman Arora, had resigned as executive member of the PPCC.
He had alleged that Congressmen, who "back-stabbed" the party were "rewarded" with positions in the committee.
"This trend, if not put to an end, may prove fatal for the party in forthcoming parliamentary elections," Arora had rued.
Bajwa remained incommunicado as efforts to reach him went in vain.
A party spokesman said the PPCC will meet on January 6 to prepare the strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.
The party had also announced 27 new urban and rural district presidents across the state.
