BJP intensifies anti-VAT move hope for some value addition

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday, June 7, 2009

The State BJP staged a protest demonstration against Value Added Tax (VAT) and tried to ensure a value addition to its politics in the forthcoming Jharkhand State Assembly election.

Scores of BJP leaders staged a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan and put the garland of vegetables around their neck on Saturday. They criticised the State Government for making the life of the common man miserable by imposing four per cent tax on essential commodities.

The BJP has planned to give a political colour to this issue and once again assured its core constituents - the business community – that the party would carry on and spearhead their fight to its logical end. This was evident from the fact that a large number of BJP leaders participated in Statewide bandh called by the business community against VAT.

The debate over VAT is likely to flare up in the coming days after traders threatened to shut down their business establishments after June 13 if the decision was not revoked by that day. The growing feeling in the Congress is that the BJP’s emotional surcharge over VAT might turn into a lethal weapon against the UPA in the Assembly elections.

The BJP is ready with a couple of slogans like Mahamahim ka tana bana mare garib par bharo khazana and a dozen more will be coined within few days,” a party leader said. BJP leaders are quite unabashed about the strategy they have employed.

From public meetings to banners the BJP plans to move to the villages to arouse the public sentiment. Today, the State BJP bosses will sit together to chalk out a strategy for the anti-VAT movement. The BJP is really looking out for a partner in this game.

Ironically, the common man has not come out against VAT so far, and a bewildered Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) could be seen crying for the public cause.

Both the BJP and the FJCCI are quite concerned that its anti-VAT signature tune has not gained public currency. Congressmen on the other hand are quite confused and divided over the prospect of lending their voice to the anti-VAT cry. Nowhere except in State capital party leaders, under pressure from a contrary constituency, joined the traders. State Congress president Pradeep Balmuchu met Governor Syed Sibtey Razi and requested him to find a solution to the problem. “We do not oppose VAT because it is UPA’s brainchild but we have asked the State Government to take some steps so that poor people and common man do not suffer,” Balmuchu said.

For Balmuchu opposing VAT so openly is quite tormenting and tempting. But this is not for the lone Congress MP and Union Minister for Food and Processing Industries Subodhkant Sahay who has made his mind known.