Finance Minister Arun Jaitley yesterday criticised the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and warned the country of the dangers in electing a “coalition of rivals” which will be a “certain recipe for disaster”.
Jaitley asked if the world’s fastest growing economy and the largest democracy can ever be governed by a coalition of rivals.
“The country has seen such governments and paid a heavy price in the past. It’s a flawed formula which has been tried and failed with its adventurist approach and the level of understanding of issues which is extremely weak,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said at an event in Mumbai.
He said he saw the reality of state parties in the country but the nucleus of the coalition should be a party with a large political base and not a miniscule political base.
The finance minister said the experience of the past proved that a strong leader with a majority could provide coherence in economic policy unlike in 2004-14 when, he indicated the prime minister was not the absolute decision-maker.
“This kind of adventurism with a combination of rivals is a certain recipe for disaster,” Jaitley said.
Referring to political analysts predicting elections, the minister said that the electorate had given them a majority beyond even what they had expected in 2014.
“We were not expecting to get an absolute majority last time. But the electorate belied our expectations. People realise the need for a coherent political structure, coherent policy and a coherent combination with strong nucleus and not something which is uncertain, weak nucleus whose own longevity is in question.”
Jaitley said India needed a high level of sustained growth for at least two decades if it had to pull millions of people out of poverty.
“As an aspirational society, the government owes it to people to maintain growth rate and give them better quality of life. And one thing I know is that aspirational societies will not prefer suicide as a future course of action.”
Talking about the economy, Jaitley said taxes on oil must eventually come down but it could happen only when dependence on oil taxation comes down by raising the non-oil tax to GDP ratio.
However, he expected people to be mature to accept the reality on account of world oil prices on which India does not have any control.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and federal minister Upendra Kushwaha yesterday gave an ultimatum to the BJP to ensure by November 30 “respectful” seat-sharing in Bihar for the 2019 polls.
Kushwaha said the RLSP has decided to reject the offer made in the seat-sharing formula finalised by the BJP for the ruling National Democratic Alliance.
“The BJP should decide a respectful seat-sharing for the RLSP in the NDA for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Bihar by November 30,” Kushwaha told reporters in Patna.
He said that the party has rejected the offer of seats made by the BJP. However, he refused to reveal the number of seats offered.
Kushwaha also expressed unhappiness over the failure of BJP president Amit Shah to meet him in Delhi.
“I have twice tried to meet Amit Shah to discuss a respectful seat-sharing in the NDA in Bihar. Even on Friday I waited to meet him, but could not. I was not given time to meet Amit Shah.”
Kushwaha said that now he would not meet any BJP leader except Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of seat-sharing.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other BJP leaders release the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in Bhopal yesterday.
