Surat City Congress Vice-President Sunil Bhukhanwala said the party had decided to serve showcause notice on the five leaders ``as they had illegally occupied office premise to hold a meeting, despite a directive not to hold any such meeting without consent of the city Congress president.

Bhukhanwala told Express Newsline that the DCC will approach the State high command to seek expulsion of GPCC secretary Rizwan Usmani for his anti-party activities.

Patchigar, however, refused to react, and said ``I will react only after receiving the notice.'' He said even Sanjay Patwa had not received any showcause notice. Incidentally, few months before the Congress party fielded Patchigar as candidate for Surat in the Lok Sabh elections, GPCC President C D Patel had appointed him chairman of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee economic cell.

Although washing his hands off the incident, Patel, however, admitted asking the city Congress president to submit a report about the activities of these leaders. ``I will look into it after I get the report,'' Patel told Express Newsline on telephone.

Bhukhanwala justified the decision, saying there must be discipline in the party. The five leaders will be issued showcause notices on the ground that they had maligned party office-bearers by issuing statements in the press, Bhukhanwala said. He added that these leaders got away without any action due to some constraints, even though they were involved in anti-party activities.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has decided to organise a massive rally on December 7. The rally will be addressed by GPCC president C D Patel and Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Amarsinh Chaudhary.

Party sources told Express Newsline that though ``officialy'' the rally is meant to express solidarity with cyclone victim of Orissa, the real reason, however, ``is a show of strength'' which may ultimately lead to a chain reaction in the party, with suspended leaders also organising rallies. There may be a spate of resignation in support of the ``suspended leaders,'' a supporter of one suspended leader said..