NEW DELHI: As BJP fended off Congress attacks on its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on the alleged snooping on a woman by the Gujarat government, the party said it was expecting more personalized attacks on Modi and the mudslinging getting murkier as the 2014 Lok Sabha polls drew close.

The party is gearing up to counter personalized attacks on Modi, even as it agrees that the level of political discourse will only get lower from here on.

The BJP strategy is that Modi will not speak on any of the “dirty” allegations against him. Rather, he will speak on “real issues hitting the common man and the developmental issues that BJP would like to bring up”. However, the party, through its spokespersons and even senior leaders, will defend Modi and counter the personal attacks.

“This way, while the party will defend Modi, BJP’s agenda of showcasing development issues in its strongholds and the Congress’s failure to deliver will be done by Modi. That way, the Gujarat chief minister’s image is expected to reflect a development-oriented persona, that he and his party is keen to project,” a party leader said.

True to script, Modi talked about rising prices and development issues at public rallies on Monday in Madhya Pradesh.

On Monday, BJP rejected Congress's demand for a probe into the illegal snooping, saying the ruling party had "no authority" to ask for it as the woman had not lodged any complaint. Questioning the authenticity of the taped conversations purportedly between former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah , considered close to Modi, and IPS officer G L Singhal, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said even web portal Cobrapost, which made the audio CD public, had not vouched for it.

"Congress's talk of a probe is all nonsense. Law and order is a state subject. Has the woman complained about the matter? Her father has issued a statement saying he had asked for security for her. With what authority is Congress and government of India asking for a probe,” Prasad said.

He reiterated the party’s stand that the "dirty tricks department" of Congress was behind the issue and sought to know how Cobrapost got possession of the tapes which Singhal had handed over to CBI much earlier.

“There has been a quid pro quo between CBI and Singhal. After this trade-off, Singhal was given bail," Prasad said. CBI had facilitated Singhal’s bail by not filing a charge-sheet in the Sohrabuddin encounter case.

BJP claimed IAS officer Pradeep Sharma of Gujarat cadre had taken this issue to the Supreme Court in which his counsel Colin Gonsalves had said on May 12, 2011 that “neither he nor the petitioner has any intent to make the faintest allegation of any personal impropriety against the chief minister”.

