Jaitley hopeful on BJP performance in coming elections

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday that the BJP will improve its position significantly in the coming assembly elections in four states and a union territory.

He also took on the Congress over its horse-trading charge in Uttarakhand and said the opposition party had lowered its ambition.

"We will improve our performance significantly in the assembly polls. In Assam, our alliance is effective... we will score a decisive victory," Jaitley told reporters here on the second day of the Bharatiya Janata Party national executive meet.

The meet discussed the assembly elections scheduled to be held in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry in April-May. These states and the UT are governed by opposition parties where the BJP does not have a prominent presence.

"In Kerala, we have strengthened our position. The politics in Kerala has changed. As far as West Bengal is concerned, we will try to increase our vote share," Jaitley said while speaking on the deliberation on the political resolution adopted at the meeting.

The resolution was moved by union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and seconded by party general secretary Saroj Pandey.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Jaitley said, "The Congress position in these states is clearly evident. I think, the Congress has lowered its level of ambition and is quite content to become a tail of the alliance."

Jaitley also spoke on the political situation in Uttarakhand after nine Congress legislators rebelled against Chief Minister Harish Rawat and joined hands with the BJP.

"There was a deep division in the Congress in Uttarakhand and it should not be attributed to the BJP," he said.

He also criticised Uttarakhand assembly Speaker G.S. Kunjwal for his decision to pass the state budget by a voice vote.

"It is a rare case in the history of democratic India where a speaker has passed a bill failed by members of the house," Jaitley said.

The two-day BJP meet will conclude on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.