Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley brushed off accusations that he is to blame for the political gridlock that crippled the General Assembly’s budget negotiations this week, saying most of the fault sits squarely on the shoulders of a fellow Democrat, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.

In a bid to expand gambling in Maryland, Miller held hostage a budget plan that would have avoided more than $500 million in spending cuts by increasing state income taxes and shifting some teacher pension costs to counties, among other revenue-raising proposals, O’Malley said.