PM contest now a 'one-horse race', 'Modi mandate' could be larger than 2014: Arun Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Friday claimed that the Prime Ministerial contest in the ongoing elections has become a "one-horse race" and exuded confidence that 'Modi mandate' could be larger than in 2014.

He further said that with counting of results for general elections only 13 days away, traditional political rivals have started "open or secret parleys" on hopes that Indian voter is not wise and would give an indecisive verdict.

"The Prime Ministerial contest is almost becoming a one horse race... The electorate is clear that it wants a five year Government and not a five month one. It is thus confronted with the choice of a Modi vs. Chaos. Obviously, the electorates' wisdom has to be trusted when he makes a choice. The 'Modi mandate' could be larger than 2014," Jaitley said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party achieved an absolute majority with 282 seats out of 543 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, while Congress got only 44 seats.

The ongoing seven phase general elections for the Lok Sabha will conclude on May 19 and counting of votes will take place on May 23.

In a blogpost titled 'The Hope of the Losers', Jaitley said: "Traditional political rivals have started open or secret parleys. Their best hope is that the Indian voter is neither wise nor sensible and hence would give an indecisive verdict. This presumption will be strongly belied on May 23, 2019".

Jaitley further said Congress President Rahul Gandhi has reduced the Congress to a double digit party and his partymen are hoping against hope if they can break the double digit barrier in 2019.

"Their level of ambition is hopelessly inadequate. Mayawati is fully determined to throw her hat in the ring. Mamata Banerjee and Chandrababu Naidu believe that they are the 'Sutradhars' of the Opposition. KCR dreams of a non-BJP, non-Congress coalition of parties," he said.

Jaitley also said none of the regional party leaders have been able to understand the real trend on the ground.

Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP would realise that they have lost a large ground in their own states.

"Voters want responsible governance, not political acrobatics by the leaders they trust. The others to be shaken will be the Congress which would have failed to add any significant numbers to its 2014 tally. The anarchic Aam Aadmi Party could be reduced to virtually next to nothing in the election," Jaitley added.