Bhubaneswar: Several senior leaders from Odisha have been dropped from the list of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) members, triggering resentment one hand and appreciation for on the other hand for induction of young blood.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has handpicked Manisha Tripathy, 20, from Nabarangpur for the meet. She is youngest among the 78 AICC members from the state.

"I am thankful to the leadership for inducting me. It appears that the party is focusing more on youth leaders," she said. The list was released ahead of the three-day plenary session of the AICC beginning in New Delhi on Friday.

Party sources said senior leaders such as Ananta Prasad Sethi and party MLAs Jogesh Singh and Prafulla Majhi were dropped from the list. These leaders were known critics of the AICC general secretary in charge of Odisha B.K. Hariprasad and state Congress chief Prasad Harichandan.

The disciplinary committee of the state Congress had earlier served the leaders with show-cause notices for their public outburst against the state leadership. Singh had recently said that he would not contest the 2019 general elections under the leadership of Harichandan.

"It's unfortunate that elected public representatives like me have been dropped from the list, while people who had lost security deposit in the elections have been included," said Majhi.

"The preparation of the list seems to have not been made in the party's interest," said leader Ganeswar Behera, excluded from the list.

Niranjan Patnaik, who is in the race for the post of the state chief, said: "The AICC-in-charge might have prepared the list in consultation with the state Congress president".

He, however, figured in the list among other senior leaders such as Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra, former Union minister Srikant Jena, Congress working committee member Susila Tiria and former PCC president K.P. Singh Deo.

Six party legislators, including Mishra, Chiranjib Biswal, Nabakishore Das, Bhujabal Majhi, Kailash Kulesika and Krushna Chandra Sagaria, are in the list. Though Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati is not in the AICC list, his wife Minakshi Bahinipati figured in it.

Party sources said an attempt had been made to strike a balance between veterans and young blood while preparing the list. The AICC is likely to release another list 20 co-opted members to pacify the disgruntled lot from Odisha, sources said.