Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday said the Congress was desperate to regain power.

"Our Congress friends are used to being in government. They are like a fish out of water now and are desperate to come back to power," he told a rally in Maninagar, from where caretaker Chief Minister Narendra Modi is contesting.

"I am surprised when Congress netas and netris say that the BJP government has failed on all fronts. When we asked if they were talking of the state or Centre, they said both. They have decided to criticise at will," the prime minister said.

He said Gujarat had set a target of 10 per cent growth during the next five years and to achieve this it was necessary to have a government that kept in mind service of the people.

"In business, trade, information technology and education, the country should make progress and answer challenges posed by the world," Vajpayee said.

He said India did business worth over Rs 40,000 crore in information technology. "Wherever you go in the world, you will find Indians working there and among them you will find people of Gujarat.

"The world is envious of India's economic development. Instead of buying food grains we exported more than Rs 6000 crore worth of food grains. Our scientists are prepared to face any challenge," he said.

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