GST Bill may get caught in BJP-Opposition crossfire
ISOLATED IN ITS OPPOSITION TO THE BILL, CONGRESS WAS WILLING TO GIVE UP ITS DEMAND TO CAP THE TAX RATE IN THE CONSTITUTION BILL
NEW DELHI: The Constitution (Amendment) Bill that will enable the rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) might get caught in what appears to be a battle of one-upmanship between the ruling and opposition parties in Parliament.
Upset over the NDA’s alleged move to scuttle the introduction of a private member’s bill concerning Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the Congress is learnt to be inclined to harden its stand on the GST bill.
Isolated in its opposition to the bill, the Congress was willing to give up its demand to cap the tax rate in the Constitution bill itself. The two sides were negotiating alternative options to address the issue.
After a face-off between Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Congress leaders on Friday, an upset opposition party is preparing to go on an offensive against the government. “How do they (government) expect us to cooperate on the GST bill when Treasury Benches do not allow us to move even a private member’s bill?” a senior Congress leader told HT.
The main opposition party is enraged over repeated adjournments forced by the BJP members in the Rajya Sabha on Friday over a video uploaded on social media by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann on Thursday.
The Congress had issued a three-line whip to its members to be present in the House on Friday in an attempt to get the House to adopt party MP KVP Ramachandra Rao’s private member bill on granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The Congress had managed to garner the support of many opposition parties and it was hopeful that the bill would sail through if put to vote.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, supported by BJP MPs, however, forced an adjournment of the House over Mann’s action, as a result of which Rao’s bill could not be taken up.
The Congress’ strategy over the GST bill, will, however, depend on the attitude of other opposition parties, which have supported the bill.
The incident of flogging of Dalits in a Gujarat village and abusive language used against BSP chief Mayawati by a UP BJP leader resulted in opposition unity in Parliament last week. But regional parties are in favour of the GST bill as it serves the interest of states. The Congress would like to rally them around for larger opposition unity against the NDA. Regional parties are, however, unlikely to play ball with the Congress on the GST issue.