Why the Lotus May Not Bloom?
The GST issue in isolation would not have had a significant impact on the Gujarat election, but in tandem with high anti-incumbency sentiments and an overdose of irrational development, it could lead to negative traction against the BJP. The assembly elections in Gujarat received substantial media traction even before the polls were announced and it would have remained a run-of-the-mill electoral contest had it not been for a faux pas by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in announcing the electoral process. The date of the election results was declared first and there was a long-studied silence before the date of the election was announced. This allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat ample time and space to stage a so(a)p opera and a show of generosity towards the voters, which took the form of an unconditional waiver of Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the farmers using micro-irrigation systems, hiking of allowances and longer maternity leave for employees ...
