New Delhi: Dismissing as "wishful thinking" new BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) president L K Advani's statement that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) would not have to wait for long in the Opposition, Congress today (Oct 20, 2004) asserted the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government would last its full five-year term."

"We can assure you that we will give a stable Government and provide good governance and it will last full five years," party spokesperson Jayanti Natrarajan told reporters in New Delhi commenting on the remarks made by Advani in his first press conference after assuming the top party post.

"BJP should give up having 'Mungerilal ke haseen sapne' (fancy dreams) and depending on astrologers" for the fall of Congress-led Government, she said and asked it to instead play the role of a constructive Opposition.

"It is high time Advani and his party should do some self-introspection as to why they were rejected by the people. It should play the role of a constructive Opposition instead of pointing fingers at the UPA Government all the time," she said.

Refuting his charge that the post of the Prime Minister had been "devalued" and the values of Parliamentary democracy "degraded", Natrajan said that the man who himself played the role of a "super Prime Minister" had no business to make such remarks.

"Singh is efficiently running the Government and Sonia Gandhi is the Chairperson of the UPA," she said.