Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has asserted that the 2014 Lok Sabha election would be more like a Presidential race, dominated by personalities.
Without naming Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to be named party’s prime ministerial candidate in the next few weeks, Mr. Jaitley maintained there was total clarity regarding the coming general election in the minds of the BJP rank and file.
“That is why this political fight will be on the feeling of anti-incumbency and in a way like a presidential election where personalities will lead this fight. At least I am clear on this issue and my party’s workers are also clear and maybe the people of the country are also clear. The earlier we move ahead on this, the earlier we will work towards taking the nation out of the crisis,” he said while delivering a lecture here on “India 2020 — Challenges Ahead.”
Saying that people want better leadership, Mr. Jaitley claimed that the BJP would steer the country out of the crisis.
Mr. Jaitley maintained that ‘dual centres of power’ in the UPA government had hurt the country as Congress president Sonia Gandhi always had the “last word” and the Prime Minister had “no accountability,” as is expected in a democracy.
“There is a serious crisis of leadership ... In a democracy the Prime Minister has the last word. That is why the Prime Minister should be such who has the most political clout and political experience. Accountability in a democracy is that of Prime Minister. This did not happen in this regime. This is a lesson for the future.”
