MUMBAI, May 9: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Pramod Mahajan on Friday predicted a split in the Congress if the leadership was foisted on Sonia Gandhi by certain sections, or if she dictated terms on the issue.

Mahajan told reporters that Sonia Gandhi was not even a patch on Indira Gandhi. Gone were the days when Congressmen accepted members of the Gandhi family as leaders without question, he said, adding that she could not emerge more powerful than late Rajiv Gandhi, one of the most unsuccessful leaders.

He began with 400 MPs in 1984. In 1989, the strength thinned to 196.The manner in which some Congressmen had welcomed Sonia Gandhi indicated the party's desperation for a leader, Mahajan said. He felt her entry would not affect BJP's prospects.

The general secretary said the first-ever pradesh BJP meeting at Kudal in Sindhudurg, beginning Saturday, would discuss the process of enrolling members, organisational elections in November, besides analysing the the state government's performance.

He also spoke of the party president LK Advani's proposed "swarn jayanti yatra", slated to begin from August Kranti Maidan here on May 18, on the issue of corruption.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.