Next election will be like Presidential contest: Jaitley

BJP leader Arun Jaitley today foresaw a Presidential-style contest in the next general elections and virtually pitched for his party projecting Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.
"Next year's election will be somewhat like a Presidential election, though in a Parliamentary form of democracy it is held on party basis. Because people want a better leadership in comparison to the leadership of this government and what they want to show for the future," Jaitley said while delivering a lecture on "India 2020 - Challenges Ahead" here.
He said personalities will lead the fight in the next general election.
"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. Atleast I am clear on this issue and my party's workers are also clear and maybe the people of the country are also clear," he said.

Without taking the name of Gujarat Chief minister, he said, "The early we move ahead on this, the earlier we will work towards taking the nation out of the crisis."
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said the nation needs a leadership which has proven ability and it is looking towards the BJP.

Exuding confidence that his party would steer the country out of the crisis by giving leadership, he said the challenge was big and only those with proven ability can take this.
"The leadership of the nucleus party in a coalition should have the ability...Today what this nation needs is such a leadership which has proven ability and people are looking towards us.

"It is not just our responsibility to give such a leadership to this nation, but it also our responsibility not to disappoint the nation. I hope we will be able to take this nation out of the crisis," Jaitley said.
He said the state in which this UPA government will leave the country and for it to emerge from this crisis is a big challenge. "No one else will be able to take it," he said.
Jaitley said there could be criticism of personalities in the country, but he cited the example of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saying it was said about her that, "like her or dislike her, you can't ignore her".