Poll debacle: Congress Working Committee to resign en masse?

Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar New Delhi: `A defeat, no matter how resounding, can never match up to the strength of the resolve to make amends` is an idea is yet to germinate in the minds of Congressmen, who are staring down the hill after ten years of `lal battis` and power. Though shell-shocked by the party`s worst-ever performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders continue to shy away from putting the blame at the right doors. Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul have ruled the party with an iron fist; all through the UPA years 10 Janpath was the centre of power and when now the party is down and out, all efforts are directed to deflect the blame.

Being fair to the Congress` first family, all party leaders, especially the senior ones, who enjoyed power, must be made accountable as well but the process has to start from the top. The scapegoat idea needs a quick burial if the Congress hopes to find its feet again. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is meeting amid indications that all members of the panel may resign en masse to endorse Sonia`s line of taking collective responsibility. The `collective responsibility` approach - pushed forward by most senior party leaders – is seen a clear attempt to shield their vice president Rahul Gandhi who led the party campaign for the elections. Though both Sonia and Rahul had taken personal responsibility and may offer to quit over the drubbing, party leaders would have none of it and appear to be standing in the queue to take the blame. "The question of Sonia and Rahul resigning does not even arise. It`s a collective responsibility. I am equally responsible," party leader Manish Tiwari said. However, Rahul`s key campaign managers like Jairam Ramesh, Madhusudan Mistri and Mohan Prakash may not be that lucky and are expected to face fire at the CWC meet. The Congress leadership would want accountability be clearly fixed and action taken wherever there are individual responsibilities. Amid all the sycophantic chatter, Kamal Nath is among those who have moved towards a more meaningful discourse and sounded a word of caution against "patronage politics”. But he also “felt” that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should have been more forthright and that the communication was a problem. But the big question that is worrying Congress leaders and workers alike – Is Rahul Gandhi the way forward or is it time for Priyanka to take centre stage? Priyanka had earlier made it clear that she is not interested. But then May 16 happened. The grand old party has been left with just 44 MPs in a house of 543, tempting many to prop up the Priyanka balloon.