Hubballi, Nov 23 (IANS) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Saturday criticised the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying that he has failed one more time proving that he is a failed leader.

“The results of the Maharashtra elections reaffirm that Rahul Gandhi is a failed leader. Sonia Gandhi is attempting to revive the Congress by fitting it with new engines, but the aircraft keeps crashing. The Congress aircraft has failed to take off once again. Despite Sonia Gandhi’s repeated efforts to launch Rahul Gandhi, the public continues to reject him as a failed leader,” the Union Minister said.

The Union Minister said that the Congress has lost its very existence, adding that the regional parties that align with it will meet the same fate.

“There is a grim future for such alliances. Regional parties aligning with Congress would also sink as is evident from Maharashtra and Jharkhand election results. Congress is a sinking ship and who hold its hand will also drown,” the Union Minister said.

He added that winning or losing is natural in any election however Congress has reached a state where its very existence is in question.

“Congress has sunk the Nationalist Congress Party-SP, led by Sharad Pawar, and the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. If things had gone slightly differently, it would have dragged down Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) as well. Even in Jharkhand, the BJP has given a tough fight to Congress,” the Union Minister claimed.

As per the Election Commission, the JMM-led alliance has won five seats and is leading in 51 constituencies of the 81-member Assembly. The NDA trails with a lead in only 24 seats.

The results reflect strong voter support for the ruling alliance and pave the way for its continued governance in Jharkhand.

The MahaYuti in Maharashtra is headed for a landslide victory in what is a resounding reversal of its recent setback in the Lok Sabha polls as projections show the ruling alliance leading in 225 Assembly seats, far ahead of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi’s 55.