MUMBAI: BJP president Rajnath Singh has dared the Congress party to declare its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 elections. “The BJP has declared Narendra Modi as the NDA nominee for prime minitership. I want to know from my friends in the Congress party whether they are willing to make public their PM candidate. The country wants to know who will be the Congress PM nominee,” Singh said. He was addressing a press meet at a Bandra auditorium on Saturday.

Stating that the BJP's process of finalising the NDA's PM candidate was “smooth”, Singh said it was now the Congress party's turn to name its candidate for prime ministership.

By asking the Congress to choose the UPA’s face for PM candidate, Singh has deflected the attention on L K Advani’s resentment over Modi’s anointment, say BJP observers.

Singh claimed that Advani was not opposed to Modi being projected as the NDA’s PM candidate. “There is no confusion of any kind in the BJP on the issue,” the BJP president added.

Praising Advani, Singh said the BJP veteran enjoyed the status of a mentor in the party. Advaniji has every right to discipline partymen, he said in reply to a question. Singh predicted a clean sweep for the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. “Judging from the nation’s mood, it appears that the BJP will win the Lok Sabha elections,” he said. Singh lambasted the UPA for failing to offer good governance to the country. The UPA has failed on all fronts, Singh said.

Asked whether the BJP would persuade the MNS to join the saffron alliance in Maharashtra, Singh said, “We will think about it at the proper time. ”

