No nautanki at Monday's CWC meet please!

A senior Congress leader feels the Gandhis should only offer to resign if they are serious about it and have in mind another leader who can take over the party. Renu Mittal reports from New Delhi

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee -- the party's apex decision making body which had been sidelined and made redundant by party President Sonia Gandhi -- will meet on Monday at 4 pm.

This will be the CWC's first meeting following the rout in the Lok Sabha election.

There is speculation that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi may offer to resign, accepting responsibility for the debacle. The party was wiped out in 12 states, where it failed to open its account.

A senior Congress leader said the Gandhis should only offer to resign if they are serious about it and have in mind another leader who can take over the party leadership.

"Or else it would only be a nautanki (drama) with the CWC rejecting their resignations and the usual management style of politics which is a Congress hallmark," the Congress leader told Rediff.com

"It could lead to a serious fallout and anger a large section of the Congress rank and file."

Most of the anger is directed at Rahul Gandhi and his idea of politics. His choice of leaders, who were given the responsibility to run the election campaign, is being questioned.

So far no Congress general secretary has offered to resign. These party leaders have merely stated that the CWC will introspect and study the reasons for the historic defeat.

The usual route to form a fact-finding committee headed by A K Antony may not serve any purpose this time around.

Rahul Gandhi's style of functioning has angered many leaders. Sonia Gandhi will need to handle the situation sensitively if she does not want a split in the Congress party both at the Centre and in the states, a distinct possibility in the years ahead.