But if yesterday she couldn't conceal how her feelings had been hurt, those who went to meet her today found the Sphinx to have returned. She was distant and adamant. She is, however, said to have assured that she would campaign for the party.

She is believed to have told a delegation of party MPs who called on her that ``they'' were even questioning whether she had more than one passport. P.A.Sangma had said last Saturday at the meeting of the CWC that people were asking whether the Congress President had two passports.

Last night when the CWC members assured her that she had their support, she is said to have pointed out that whileonly three party leaders had questioned her bona fides, she knew there were others who were not with her.

At this point she turned to Rajesh Pilot and asked, ``Am I lying?'' Pilot had made the same point as Sharad Pawar, Sangma and Tariq Anwar at the Saturday CWC meeting though mildly by suggesting that the Congress should not project a prime ministerial candidate at this stage. Pawar had said that young people were asking him why they could not find an Indian leader in a country of 98 crore people.

Sonia has, however, managed to turn the tables on her opponents who have been isolated in the party. The groundswell of support for her, with AICC office-bearers, including CWC members, PCC chiefs and four chief ministers, handing over their resignation letters to her to put pressure on her to take back her resignation has given her a total grip on the party.

After this, the nationality issue is unlikely to be so potent within the Congress. Party leaders are haunted by the spectre of a return to the 1997scenario when the party's fortunes were on the downswing. They are speaking of summoning a session of the AICC to put more pressure on her.

According to party leaders, both Priyanka and Rahul have advised her not to take back her resignation. The nationality issue will get diluted further if she sticks to her decision and the party decides to fight under another Congress President while being ambiguous about the question of prime ministership.

Already partymen are discussing the possibility of someone like Manmohan Singh taking over as party president for the time being, Sonia willing. Many see him as best choice after her. His clean image holds an appeal for the minorities and the middle classes, who are alienated on the nationality issue, and industry.

There are others who see Pranab Mukherji as having emerged as the high command's favourite. As she left the CWC last night after submitting her resignation, Sonia asked Pranab to preside over the meeting. He is believed to have had a hand in draftingher resignation letter.

If Sonia takes back her resignation, she would have established her authority in the Congress but the central issue -- a videshi Prime Minister versus a swadeshi one won't go away.

Efforts have been on in the past two days to persuade the troika to take back the letter now that majority opinion in the CWC is against it. C.K.Jaffer Sharief is reportedly among those in touch with Sangma in the US. But he is apparently sticking to his position. Pawar too has said he would continue to raise the need for an amendment in the Constitution to allow only natural born Indians to hold the country's top three positions.

For the moment, the latest controversy has put the issue of action against the three leaders, which would have made them martyrs, on the backburner.