Praful Patel praises Modi for winning Gujarat polls

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel Friday praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's victory in the state assembly elections.

"Modi led his party to victory in the assembly elections due to his work and the confidence that people reposed in him. He was successful in gaining the trust of people," Patel, union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises, said here.

Patel was in Mumbai to attend the inauguration of the newly renovated Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) office. The ceremony  was also attended by several NCP ministers, including Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, R.R. Patil and Tariq Anwar.

Seeking a review of the NCP's defeat in Gujarat, Patel said the Congress had fielded candidates from all the seats which the NCP contested. "We had a tie-up with the Congress in Gujarat so that we could avoid division of secular votes. However, that did not happen," he said.

Patel also commended NCP president Sharad Pawar, saying that he is "one of the few leaders who enjoys the respect of people. From this (newly inaugurated) office, let us make efforts to put Pawar at a bigger place," Patel said.