Opposition Leader L K Advani claimed that the personalised and “vicious” campaign launched against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was a huge “blunder” committed by the Congress, which would contribute to the BJP victory in the state.
Apparently pointing at expressions like “merchant of death,” “Godse,” “Hindu terrorism” and “liar” allegedly used against Mr Modi by AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and other top Congress leaders, Mr Advani claimed that such speeches had been unheard of by people of Gujarat. They had lowered the standard of campaigning.
On a visit to the city on the last day of campaigning for the Assembly elections, Advani ridiculed the comment by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that his anointment as the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate betrayed “fear” that Modi would stake a claim to the post after the Gujarat elections.  “By his comment, the PM has already conceded the Congress defeat and the most charitable way of responding to it is to say that he is apolitical.”
British pattern
Asked about the compulsion for BJP to declare a candidate for the PM’s post, Mr Advani said-though there was no precedent for such a declaration, the party had replicated the British pattern, where a shadow prime minister was always present. 
On why the BJP in Gujarat did not encash on his declaration as a prime ministerial candidate, Advani claimed that the entire focus during the Gujarat elections was on Narendra Modi. Even the Congress leaders were attacking him.