The Congress Working Committee, scheduled to meet on Saturday, will reject party President Rahul Gandhi’s offer to resign as expected, but some in his immediate circle are likely to be replaced with more experienced people with a solid ‘Congress’ background.

The Congress will shift its focus to States such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, where it is in power. The party has sensed threats to the Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh governments not just from the BJP, but also from power feuds within.

When asked about the possibility of Rahul’s resignation, a Congress insider said: “People don’t blame Brahma for their problems. If we start blaming Rahul Gandhi for everything that happened, there is no end to it. We will analyse the work done by each and everyone at the decision-making level and will take a decision then,” he added.

The party managers feel that any step discounting the prominence of the Gandhi family in the party will be counter-productive. So the party is not giving much attention to suggestions even from “well-wishers” that Rahul must step down.

Historian Ram Chandra Guha had said on Twitter that it is astonishing that Rahul has not yet resigned from his post.

“His party performed very poorly, he lost his own pocket borough. Both self-respect and political pragmatism demand that the Congress elect a new leader. But perhaps the Congress has neither,” he said.

Resignations announced

Meanwhile, a host of Congress leaders have offered their resignations. Uttar Pradesh unit chief Raj Babbar, Odisha unit chief Niranjan Patnaik and senior leader from Odisha Bhakta Charan Das have announced their resignations owing moral responsibility. The CWC meeting will discuss the resignations of State leaders, too.

“The results are depressing for the Uttar Pradesh Congress. I find myself guilty of not discharging my responsibility in a proper manner,” Babbar tweeted.

“I will meet the leadership and apprise it of my views. Congratulations to the winners for winning the confidence of the people,” he said.

Patnaik also said that he has sent his resignation letter to Rahul. “While the Congress faced defeat in the State, I too lost at the hustings. The party needs to take concrete steps to set the organisation in proper shape by getting rid of opportunists and attracting youth into its fold,” the leader said.

Apart from Rahul, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the party’s star campaigner and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders will attend the meeting.

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