Arun Jaitley calls Congress a crowd around fading dynasty

Elated by BJP’s good show in civic polls in Odisha and Maharashtra, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley took potshots at the Congress, saying it has become “a crowd around a fading dynasty”.

The Congress party’s stiff opposition to demonetisation has cost the party dear as the government’s decision got overwhelming support from the poor, the senior BJP leader said in a Facebook post.

The BJP registered an unprecedented win in municipal elections in Maharashtra and made significant gains in the eastern state of Odisha.

Hitting out at the current Congress leadership, Jaitley said that if the current representative of the “dynasty lacks the ability to lead the party or the country, the party suffers. It becomes a crowd around a fading dynasty. This now seems obvious in the case of the Congress”.

The Congress, he said, has “lost its image as a responsible political organisation”. “From a natural party of governance, it has moved to the fringe. Its policies have alienated its constituency of the poor aam aadmi,” he added.

Jaitley further said parties which adopt dynastic succession as an alternative to merit-based leadership creation suffer from a natural disadvantage.

“Tall leaders do not grow in such parties. The strength of the party overlaps with the charisma of the current generation of the dynasty,” he said.

Referring to note ban decision, the minister said the Congress’ stand on demonetisation of high value currency “is costing it dearly”.

“The poor have overwhelmingly supported demonetisation. The Congress party has lost its traditional constituency of the poor electorate to the BJP,” the minister said.

He said the disruptive role played by the Congress in Parliament has projected it “more as a fringe rather than a mainstream political party”.