The Congress has already conceded defeat in the crucial Gujarat assembly elections, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani said on Wednesday, as he replied to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's taunting remarks.
Talking to reporters at his residence here, the veteran leader said: "I am a bit surprised at the prime minister's statement. It only shows that the Congress has admitted that it cannot compete with (Chief Minister Narendra) Modi in Gujarat. Modi will emerge victorious.
"I won't say anything beyond this."
The BJP parliamentary board on Monday named Advani as the party's prime ministerial candidate.
The announcement came on the eve of polling for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections.
Campaigning in Gujarat for his Congress party, Manmohan Singh said: "The central leadership of the BJP is nervous of Modi. They want to fill the post before the Gujarat election results are out."