M Kharge said, "Whether it is a clean sweep or not will be known on the 19th".
As the Congress voted for a new party president today, Mallikarjun Kharge refused to predict the winner, saying he wouldn't like to as it would "show his ego".
The 80-year-old, seen to be the candidate that has the Congress leadership's blessing, also refused to speculate whether he was heading for a "clean sweep" versus rival Shashi Tharoor.
"Whether it is a clean sweep or not will be known on the 19th (Wednesday). How can we predict now? If I say anything now, it shows that I have got too much ego myself," Mr Kharge told NDTV.
On the suggestion that he is the "consensus" candidate, he quipped: "Now the consensus is gone. We are fighting elections. That means you have to wait till the results."
He also said he would like to implement the Udaipur declaration for party reforms, "one by one" if he "got a chance" to head the Congress.
The election, being held after nearly 25 years, is a milestone for the Congress in many ways. For the first time in decades, the party is voting for a non-Gandhi chief.
Though the Gandhis have said they will remain neutral, Mr Kharge is widely believed to be the "approved" candidate.
Both candidates greeted each other.
"Spoke to Mallikarjun @kharge this morning to wish him well and to reaffirm my respect for him and our shared devotion to the success of Congress," Mr Tharoor tweeted.
Mr Kharge wrote: "My best wishes to Shashi Tharoor. Spoke to him earlier today, both of us are contesting to strengthen Congress to build a stronger and better nation for the future generations."
Some 9,000 delegates are voting in the daylong election. A new Congress chief will be announced on Wednesday.