Jailtey Says Large Chunk Of People Consider Performance Rather Than Caste While Voting; Trend Will Continue

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday (18 April) dismissed the notion that people select their leader based on caste, adding that the public values performance and integrity more, reports Mint.

“A...very large chunk of people, who make very harsh judgements are forming an opinion, and that opinion is based...on integrity (and) in whose hands you are safe and which are the hands which can deliver and I think this trend is likely to increase," Jaitley stated at a book release of Citizen Raj, authored by economist Surjit Bhalla.

“And that will probably make us a far more performance-centric democracy where people will judge on that basis and not merely the traditional ones like caste…,” added the minister.

Noting that India’s socio-economic profile of India was rapidly undergoing transition, Jaitley said that the middle class and neo middle class will constitute the largest block of voters.

Cut Taxes Further

In another interview with The Hindu BusinessLine (BL), Jaitley stated if the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is voted back to power, it will continue to cut tax rates.

“I’m quite clear in my mind that on two issues: at least we had a lot of good fiscal prudence and we brought the rates down. If we are in power we will continue the same glide path,” said Jaitley.

Also Read: Housing For All? Want To Lower Interest Rates To Make Paying EMIs Cheaper Than Rent, Says Jaitley