Clearing GST Reform Must Be A Priority, Amit Shah To Tell BJP Tomorrow

New Delhi: Before Amit Shah meets with all 10 Chief and Deputy Chief Ministers from his party on August 27, the BJP president will meet core teams from each state tomorrow to buttress the party's plans for elections in important states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Mr Shah, 51, is likely to focus on some house-keeping: how to use digital media more effectively to communicate the BJP's accomplishments and plans as also to communicate reforms and initiatives undertaken by BJP state governments to help the poor.

The centerpiece of his agenda, however, will be a push for the landmark Goods and Services Tax or GST reform, which was cleared by parliament last month and must be approved by 15 of India's 29 states by November if the government is to meet its deadline of implementing the tax by April next year.

The GST replaces a jumble of central and state tariffs with a national sales tax and has been welcomed by investors and business as the biggest reform since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office.

So far, three states- Bihar, Assam and Jharkhand - have cleared the constitutional amendment that gives the government new taxation powers. After it is cleared by more than half of the 29 states, parliament will review the scope and rate of GST, which will be submitted by a council that combines Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with representatives of each state government.

Some sources say that the party president tomorrow will carry out a detailed review of how the BJP is expanding its base in those states where the party has been traditionally weak.