It looks BJP has reasons to be confidant after the recent Parliamentary elections and is hopeful of getting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill passed. Though the Lok Sabha has passed the Bill, it has been hanging in uncertainty in the Rajya Sabha as the party did not had the required numbers as compared to Congress and its allies in the opposition. There is no doubt that the stalemate has held up the much needed reforms in the economic sector especially when fragmented regime prevails as far as taxing of goods and services are concerned. But after the recent Parliamentary elections equation seems to have changed yet it is still not in a position to bypass the opposition. During the budget session, Congress had 64 members to BJP’s 49 in the Rajya Sabha. Since then 57 seats fell vacant in 15 states. Of these 30 were elected unopposed and the remaining 27 spread across seven states saw high-intensity drama with some unexpected results. The GST once introduced would be able to address this prevailing divide and bring in uniformity which ultimately would be big a relief for the consumer. It is the consumer who is the worst affected due to such a faulty taxation system on goods and services. It is arguably the most important legislation on economic reforms what country can experience. It is over five years since the first deadline to roll out GST has passed. In due course of time the issue has become a political football to score some points. As the Bill requires a change in the Constitution, states will have to pass the Bill in their own Assemblies approving the change in tax law. At least the House should see the passage of one of the most important legislation on economic reforms. No doubt uniformity in taxation would push production which indirectly would boost employment. For the last two years BJP has tasted its own medicine from when it was in opposition, and Congress forcing a complete washout is on the same line of political thought process the saffron party carried.
