'Consensus' PCC in Punjab likely to be announced soon

New Delhi: The Congress high command is likely to replace the party's faction-riven Punjab unit soon with a "consensus" PCC to put up a united face ahead of next year's assembly elections.

According to sources, the party is working on a formula where all sections are accomodated to the satisfaction of prominent leaders in the state in a bid to end factionalism after defeat in two successive assembly polls at the hands of Akali Dal-BJP combine.

"A combi-pack is being evolved to balance all sections and satisfy all leaders in the state," a senior Congress leader told PTI.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have held several rounds of discussions with state leaders in their bid to resolve the leadership row and restructure the Punjab unit.

As part of the restructuring exercise, incumbent state party chief Pratap Singh Bajwa, whose ouster has been strongly demanded by former chief minister Amarinder Singh, is set to be replaced.

While senior Congress leader Ambika Soni is leading the race for the PCC chief's post, Amarinder himself is likely to be appointed the party's campaign committee chief for the next assembly polls.

All social sections and castes will be represented on the new panel and prominent state leaders assigned important roles, sources said.

There is also the talk about replacement of Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar, an Amarinder loyalist, despite the former chief minister pitching for his retention.

Sources said the party high command does not want authority to be concentrated in the hands of any single individual to tide over factionalism.

Both Amarinder and Bajwa as PCC chiefs have separately launched agitational programmes against the ruling combine. The protests, sources said, will be intensified once the new PCC is in place.

The emergence of AAP in Punjab is another worry for Congress and continued squabbling in the party may further put into jeopardy its efforts to wrest power in the state after a decade. Congress had secured only three seats in the last Lok Sabha polls, while Akalis clinched four and BJP two.