And now that Kargil has become the major election issue, the Congress party seems to be witnessing a downslide. Reports reaching from states suggest that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has immensely gained in terms of popular support for his tough stand against Pakistan. His projection as the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP and allies is, therefore, bound to elicit positive response from the voters.

Sonia Gandhi and her party's stand on Kargil, judging by reports, has not been appreciated. The party's stand on calling a Rajya Sabha session to discuss the Kargil issue in the midst of a war with Pakistan. The party's demand for an immediate session of the Upper House found little favour.

Also, the party's consistent criticism of the Vajpayee government on Kargil was, to say the least, disliked in general. Instead of showing completesolidarity with the government in the hour of a national crisis, the Congress party's foreign affairs cell chief K Natwar Singh picked holes on the government's foreign policy and its diplomatic failure.

Even many of the Sonia supporters in the Congress privately expressed their displeasure over the manner in which Natwar Singh went about running down the country's diplomatic initiative on Kargil.

In the common perception, the Vajpayee government's diplomatic initiative on Kargil has been a victory to the extent that Pakistan was criticised by the Western powers as also others for not respecting the line of control (LoC). Indeed, Kargil has been a victory for the people of this country and , in their perction, the credit should go to Vajpayee. To the extent the Congress party finds fault with Vajpayee's Kargil policy, the gain would be for Vajpayee and his allies proportionately.

Unmindful of all this, the Congress party continues to attack Vajpayee on the Kargil issue. Even on Monday, Sonia Gandhisought to question Vajpayee on Kargil. In Lucknow, she charged the Vajpayee government with `apathy' in defending the LoC and asked partymen to enlighten people on this.

''While the Vajpayee government utterly failed in defending the country's borders following intrusion by Pakistani troops and militants, it is ridiculous that they are celebrating Kargil vitory now ,'' the Congress president said.

No wonder, the BJP took on her without losing any time. The BJP in a statement on Monday promptly said, "Sonia Gandhi, in keeping with her by now familiar habit of taking utmost liberty with the truth, has claimed that 'thousands of brave Indian solidiers' were murdered in Kargil". Terming this as `amazing fabrication', BJP leaders also blamed the Congress president for playing an anti-national role. "A person aspiring to be the Prime Minister should have at least a bare knowledge of facts, should display at least some commitment to truth and the national spirit should find at least a little reflection in himor her", the BJP statement said.