Jaitley upbeat on GST passage in Monsoon session

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley expressed confidence about passing the GST Bill in the Monsoon session, saying all UPA constituents are urging for its implementation along with other regional parties.

Interacting with journalists at Indian Women Press Corps, the Finance Minister said:  "If you actually do a number count about all those who are supporting the GST and every regional party has a strong interest in passage of the GST, because the state where it is going to have an impact, it will help those states. All UPA partners are making urges for GST. I am reasonably confident as when it comes to the crunch. It's extremely difficult for even the Congress to take a



contrary step.”

Noting that it would be difficult for Congress to take a contrarian view, Jaitley said a Parliamentary vote is the only way forward if there was no consensus. "I am reasonably confident because... every political party, including the Congress, favours the GST. In fact, the Congress should have had the vision to support it more aggressively because they could claim the original authorship of the idea," Jaitley said when asked if he was confident of passing the Bill in the monsoon session.

The GST Bill, which has been approved by the Lok Sabha, is pending in the Rajya Sabha because of stiff resistance by the Congress.