Govt responsible for SSP delay

Alleging that the State Government had failed to furnish necessary details of the project before the Supreme Court, he said the State BJP government8217;s attempt to take the credit for bringing Narmada water to the State was 8220;strange8221;. It was during Chimanbhai Patel8217;s tenure as chief minister that the dam height was raised to 80 meters, he claimed, adding that at present only five meters were to be added.

Later, commenting on the AIADMK8217;s withdrawal of support to the Central government during an informal chat with reporters, Patel said the BJP-led government should resign as it had been reduced to a minority. The President should ask the BJP to seek a vote of confidence, he added.

Asked if the Congress would seek the AIADMK8217;s support to form the Government, he said the party would be keeping its options open for the time being.

At the convention, Patel said that while the party would not topple any government to come to power, it would not hesitate to act if the situation compelled it to. 8220;But the Congress will not indulge in horse-trading,8221; he said.

Coming down heavily on the BJP, he said the party had ignored its own agenda after coming to power. Describing the Pokharan blasts, the prime minister8217;s bus trip to Lahore and the test-firing of the Agni II as 8220;gimmicks8221;, he said they aimed to distract mass attention from Jayalalitha8217;s first threat, the Congress win in three states and, again, Jayalalitha8217;s shenanigans respectively.

On the State BJP government, he said its only achievement had been to hold on to power. 8220;If Mamata Banerjee can get things done her way, why can8217;t such a large number of BJP MPs from Gujarat get gas for the State and various othe issues resolved,8221; he questioned. Describing the State Government as a 8220;complete failure8221;, State Congress president C D Patel said the party would launch a series of programmes to highlight the failure of the Government.