Congress unlikely to push for GST amendments in Rajya Sabha today

NEW DELHI: The concerted plan of the Opposition to amend the GST legislation in the Rajya Sabha appeared to lose its way with the main Opposition party, Congress, on Wednesday contemplating against pressing for its amendments in the Rajya Sabha at the time of vote on Thursday.

Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, in fact, has moved an amendment towards asserting Parliament’s supremacy over the GST Council. However, the Congress suggested that the party will not persist with a voting on the amendment. “That amendment (moved by Jairam Ramesh) will not be pressed,” Congress spokesman Rajeev Gowda revealed on Wednesday.

Congress’ decision to avoid forcing an amendment will take the sting out of other Opposition parties, much like TMC’s attempts to force an a mendment without the numerical support from the Congress which is the single largest party in the Upper House.

Sources said that a decision to this effect was arrived at the behest of former finance minister P Chidambaram during party strategists’ meeting on Wednesday morning.

“Chidambaram argued that since state legislatures have also surrendered their right for taxation under the GST, we should not insist on our amendment to disturb the arrangement arrived at with federal consensus,” the former minister was learnt to have argued to Congress leaders, a Congress source confided.

Its effect was visible during the discussion on the legislation in the Rajya Sabha where deputy leader of Congress Anand Sharma didn’t mention any amendment being contemplated by his party during his almost 40-minute speech on GST legislations.

Naresh Agrawal of Samajwadi Party, which is the second largest party in the Opposition, too, didn’t refer to any amendment. Agrawal, however, did voice his concern over the GST Council usurping the taxation powers of Parliament. Agrawal later told ET that SP was not going to move amendments into the legislation.