Sonia's magic over, Rahul's leadership will be disastrous: BJP

Varanasi, Apr 22 (UNI) Maintaining that the ''Italian magic'' of Congress president Sonia Gandhi was over, former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi today said the immature statements by young Congress MP Rahul Gandhi suggested that ''his leadership will be disastrous for the nation''.

''AICC president Sonia Gandhi's Italian magic is over as various constituents of UPA were now contemplating leaving the ruling fold at the Centre after considering it a sinking ship,'' Dr Joshi said while addressing two election meetings in Kolasala and Varanasi (South) constituencies of the district.

''Starting from local body reverses in Maharashtra to civic election defeats in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, besides loss of power in Uttaranchal and Punjab, Congress led by Ms Gandhi is now a loser.

Ms Gandhi's Italian magic is over,'' Dr Joshi maintained.

He further said one of the strongest UPA partners NCP chief Sharad Pawar fought the local body polls in Maharashtra in understanding with the Shiv Sena, an NDA partner and the staunchest ally of BJP.

This meant Mr Pawar could also support or join hands to form a Sena-BJP-NCP government in the western state in future and may even join both the parties in future to form a government at the Centre.

''The UPA ship is sinking and the exit of partners from the rulling coalition at the Centre will begin after the UP polls in which BJP was performing superbly. UP elections will guide the national politics.'' Taking strong exception to recent utterances by young Cong MP Rahul Gandhi about the contribution of the Nehru-Gandhi family to the country, the former union minister said ''such immature statements suggest that Mr Gandhi only knows about his family's history and nothing about the treasured history of India.

''Mr Gandhi should be told that much before the creation of Bangladesh, the Indian government led by Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965 had inspired the national army to glide into Lahore. Besides it was not Mr Gandhi's family alone which fought for country's freedom.

Revolutionaries led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose should be given the prime credit for country's independence from British rule, as Netaji was the first leader who instituted the government of Independent India in exile.'' ''Prime Minister Manmohan Singh terms Rahul as the future of UP.

If at all some day he heads a regime in UP then it will be disastrous for the state. If ever Mr Gandhi led a government nationally, it will be equally disastrous for the entire nation,,'' Dr Joshi added.

UNI