Family retainers

The stranglehold of the Gandhi family on the Congress party was well in evidence on the day the party's working committee met to discuss its failures at the hustings. This was underlined for scores of journalists waiting for a briefing outside the Akbar Road party headquarters for three hours in the summer sun. When party members finally trooped out, the only thing they had to report was that the resignations of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi had been rejected unanimously. Anything else, reporters persisted, since the meeting lasted so long. A senior leader sheepishly admitted, "The resignation issue took up most of the time. While the Congress president kept insisting that her resignation be accepted, member after member spoke up reposing their faith in her leadership." For nearly three hours!