In an orchestrated campaign to woo back Sonia Gandhi as the party president, Congress workers have virtually laid siege to her residence. Armed with resignation letters and banners, dressed in starched khadi and white Gandhi caps, they are pouring in from all over the country. And this they say, is just the beginning.

``We will sit here for as long as it takes. We have already charted out the strategy for the next few days. While some of us will sit outside 10, Janpath, others will mobilise supporters in their constituency. We'll soon begin taking out rallies. She has to come back,'' insisted Congress MLA Rajesh Jain.

Brimming with ideas, another one announced that they were planning to hold thu-thu (shame-shame) rath yatras at the residence of the three gaddars (traitors), referring to Sharad Pawar,PA Sangma and Tariq Anwar. ``This is just the beginning, we will be doing many more things if she does not withdraw her resignation,'' threatened another party worker.

While the oldies contended with threats alone, the youngsters decided to provide some action. With a bottle of kerosene oil in hand and tears in his eyes, a youth Congress worker screamed: ``I will immolate myself.''

Even as all eyes and cameras turned towards him, the policemen rushed to save him from himself. Snatching away the bottle, they firmly evicted him from the premises. While he was being taken away, former National Students Union of India (NSUI) president Alka Kapoor announced -- to all who cared to hear -- that this was no empty threat.

The entire day was filled with dramatic outbursts. After the self-immolation-threatening activists were removed, a batch of youth Congress workers took over. Twenty of them arranged themselves prostrate on the road and covered themselves with posters of Sonia Gandhi and alternately screamed andpleaded for ``Soniaji to withdraw her resignation''.

Fired by the youngsters' enthusiasm, senior party workers devised their own ways to garner attention. Every Congress worker, who could possibly resign, did. First it were the Congress MLAs led by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who submitted their resignations to Sonia Gandhi. Then it was the turn of all the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office bearers. And finally it was the city's Congress councillors, who also went ahead and did their duty.

And those who could not resign, pitched tents -- separate one for every frontal organisation -- and sat on hunger strike. With banners, exhorting expulsion of the three gaddars, they chanted slogans, announcing to all and sundry that Nahin chahiye bhojan pani, hame chahiye Sonia Gandhi (we do not want food or water, we want Sonia Gandhi back).

And amidst all these activities, senior party leaders, kept breezing in for an audience with Sonia. Inspired by them, supporters, activists andonlookers also queued up. ``Her eyes were brimming with tears,'' announced one sad supporter, immediately after a visit. Hearing this, many more joined in and there was a surge towards the gate, followed by a lathicharge. However, most of them were undeterred and queued up again, this time in a little more organised manner.

And so it continued. It was only after the effigies of the three leaders -- Sharad Pawar, P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar -- were burnt, that the crowd started cooling off. ``We have performed their last rites and our work is done. Now we can go home,'' said party workers before beginning to drift away.