New Delhi, Aug. 20: Sonia Gandhi and her aides in the Congress have left it to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his cabinet to decide whether the National Advisory Council should be reconstituted with the party chief back at the helm or have another chairperson.

Congress sources said since she resigned as NAC chairperson following the Opposition’s allegation that it was an “office of profit”, Sonia had not once mentioned its name, not even to her confidants.

“She is obviously in no hurry to return. In fact, she may not want the job back,” a senior functionary said.

But after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam signed the profit bill on Friday, there was speculation on whether Sonia would return to the NAC because it is exempt from the list of offices of profit.

“We will say nothing on this matter. It is up to the Prime Minister, what he wants to do, whether he wants her back or not,” sources said, adding that their “only hope” was he would consult the leaders of the Congress’s coalition allies as well before taking a decision.

The sources said Sonia had made the “point she wished to” when she promptly quit the NAC chairperson’s post and her Lok Sabha seat before winning the Rae Bareli bypoll with a bigger margin.

But in keeping with her image of a leader for whom formal posts did not matter, they said it was unlikely she would return in haste. So, taking the cue from 10 Janpath, Sonia’s residence, the Congress decided to keep mum on the matter.

The party is also worried that if the amended act is challenged in court, Sonia could be embroiled in yet another controversy.

BJP on profit bill

The BJP today alleged that the central government has given exemptions “selectively” to 40 posts in the office of profit bill to safeguard “a few belonging to the Congress and Left parties”, reports PTI from Hyderabad.

“The bill, referred to a joint parliamentary committee, should have more clarity on the definition of profit and must be acceptable to all,” BJP vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu said.