UP results reaffirm people's support for note ban, GST: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the results of Uttar Pradesh civic polls reaffirmed people's support for the GST which has made doing business "easier" for traders.

At a media briefing, he also recalled his party's unprecedented win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assembly polls following the demonetisation decision and noted that it had swept "trading hubs" in UP to underline popular support to note ban.

"Today's results (in UP) have only reaffirmed it," he said.

The ruling BJP today forged ahead of its rivals, leading on 14 of the 16 mayoral seats in Uttar Pradesh where the civic bodies polls were held in three phases, according to trends from these seats in the first four hours of counting of votes.

The Congress has used GST glitches and note ban to attack the BJP in Gujarat polls.

"GST has made doing business and trade very easy. The market size for every trader has grown. Now the whole country is his market," Jaitley said.

He declined to comment on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's 'dharam ki dalali' barb at the BJP. "There is no need to answer to this," Jaitley said. KR SMN