Lucknow, July 28: Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh has blamed what he calls the “Murli-Mukesh mantralaya” for the delay in the start of the Rs 10,000-crore Dadri power project in Uttar Pradesh.

“If the ministry okays the gas deal today, Dadri will start tomorrow,” the ruling party general secretary said.

The Union petroleum and natural gas ministry, headed by Murli Deora, has objected to the price at which the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries has agreed to sell gas to the Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Natural Resources for the project. The government, which gets a share in the profit on gas sales, has said the price is too low.

Singh, whose party is facing questions from the Opposition about the fate of its showpiece project, is alleging that the elder Ambani brother is behind the Centre’s decision.

The price was fixed as part of the de-merger agreement when the brothers split.

The announcement of the Dadri project in 2004 was seen as Anil’s first political gambit and had upset Mukesh.

But why is Anil quiet, the Samajwadi Party leader was asked, to which Singh replied that he hoped there would be a statement soon.

The fate of the Dadri project ? till recently touted as the world’s largest ? has been under a cloud since Anil resigned as Rajya Sabha MP, fuelling speculation that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the Samajwadi leader. His entry into politics followed from his friendship with Singh.

Anil’s announcement last week of a Rs 55,000-crore power plant in Orissa has only worsened the jitters in Lucknow, with the Congress yesterday demanding the government come clean.