GST - Modi-fied - NaMo
IT appears that the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on GST is a jinxed body. Asim Kumar Dasgupta, the Finance Minister of West Bengal laid the foundation for the edifice of GST as the first Chairman of the Empowered Committee, but electoral debacle of his party in the State elections found him out of the Finance Minister's office and he had to be replaced by Sushil Modi, the Finance Minister and Dy. Chief Minister of Bihar who had worked hard and ensured consensus among Member States on many issues. But now the political ambition of another Modi has rocked the GST boat.
Narendra Modi wants to replicate his Gujarat model in Delhi in 2014 and many in BJP believe, he is the best bet for them to sit in the treasury benches of Parliament post 2014. L K Advani does not think so, but is quickly enlightened. Nitish Kumar also does not think so, but there is no parivar to enlighten him. So he says, it's quits with BJP and his Finance Minister is sacked - And the Finance Minister is Sushil Modi, the Chairman of the Empowered Committee on GST - which means we will have to now find a new Chairman and start the game all over again. Which means no GST in the near future!