Voices of Gujarat: GST to Be a Big Issue This Assembly Election

The Quint travelled across the state in the run up to the elections, to find out the voters’ issues and concerns.

Gujaratis share whether GST will be a factor in Gujarat Assembly elections.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

This election season, The Quint has shifted the focus from what the netas think, to what the aam Gujarati thinks and feels. We travelled across the state in the run-up to the elections to find out their issues and concerns.

Click here to listen to more such voices from Gujarat.

One of the pressing concerns of the aam aadmi this election is GST. The BJP government’s tax regime has hurt Surat’s Rs 50,000 crore textile industry and traders in the city are visibly agitated.

“GST was a high-handed measure, it was not good. It has really affected our business. My sales have reduced by 40 percent. If I used to sell things worth Rs 1,000, that has now come down to Rs 600,” says 31-year-old Surat based trader Chetan Aggarwal.

But it’s not just the traders and businessmen who have been vocal about GST, but also students and working professionals.

“Since the introduction of GST, whenever we see the bill, it's always a blow. It's a blow to our savings. A large part of your income goes to paying GST,” says 20-year-old student Ayushi Panikar.

However, despite its issues, there are voters in the state who continue to have faith in it for the long-term, keeping the faith with the Modi government and BJP.

“Yes, GST has given us problems, but it has also benefitted us, something the media isn't talking about. After a year, traders will say that the GST should have come out five years ago,” says Ram Avatar Sabu, a 72-year-old trader in Surat.

(Voices of Gujarat: Tired of listening to netas make promises? As Gujarat goes to polls, The Quint wants to listen to the real voices of Gujarat – the voters. Tell us what issues matter to you this election season. Send in your videos to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @ [phone])

Video Producer: Hansa Malhotra
Video Editor: Md Irshad Alam