As the date for withdrawing nomination for Punjab assembly election nears, there is trepidation in Congress camp over large number of rebels in the poll fray.

The rebels who could queer the pitch for Congress, which is seeking to return to power in the state, include Malwinder Singh, the brother of former chief minister and PCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh.

Malvinder has since joined the opposition Akali Dal and decided to campaign against the Congress. He is opposing the party's decision to give ticket to Amarinder's son Raninder Singh for the Samana assembly constituency in Patiala district for which he was earlier a contender.

An AICC leader speaking on the condition of anonymity here accepted that there were at least 40 rebels in the fray against the official Congress candidates.

He said it could create really serious problems for the party if they do not withdraw their candidatures by January 16, the last day for withdrawing nominations.

The Congress leader expressed confidence that if the rebel factor was resolved, the party could stage a comeback in the state due to the strong anti-incumbency factor.

Former minister Gurkanwal Kaur, daughter of assassinated chief minister Beant Singh, has unfurled the banner of revolt, opposing the nomination of Jagbir Singh Brar. Brar had quit SAD to float the PPP along with Manpreet and recently joined the Congress. Brar had defeated Gurkanwal in 2007 polls.

Former parliamentary secretary Hans Raj Josan has decided to contest from the Jalalabad seat as an independent against Akali Dal president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

While some rebels like former Pathankot MLA Ashok Sharma have threatened to contest as Independent, few are contesting on tickets from PPP, a party spearheaded by Manpreet Badal, the cousin of Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

LA Baldev Singh from Malout, Sukhdev Singh Chahal, OSD to CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, from Talwandi Saboo, Amarjeet Sharma from Ramphura Phul, Punjab Mahila Congress chief Malti Thapar from Dharamkot, Surinder Kaur from Bhadaur and Parkash Singh Bhattai from Balluana have also expressed their resentments in public over rejection of their claims by the party.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari, however, said,"people are fed up of Akali-BJP rule and are looking forward to Congress for a change."

Asked about the demand from Punjab Congress for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address election rallies there, Tewari said there is not only a demand but an expectation that the Prime Minister would find time to campaign in Punjab.