If GST & Congress KVP Bills are linked, it'll be smoothsailing for AP & BJP

At last the Congress is atoning for dividing the combined Andhra Pradesh inorganically by backing one-off move by party's Rajya Sabha MP, KVP Ramachandra Rao. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had issued a whip to his partymen to vote for the Private Member's Bill moved by KVP, should there be voting. He directed his party's leader in the Upper House, Ghulam Nabi Azad, to vote for the KVP Bill, should it be put up for voting. The innocuous KVP Bill, which had come to this stage by default because the BJP side had asked for its withdrawal, but the lack of quorum on the last day of Upper House's previous session, saw it sailing through and going into the next session. The KVP Bill was originally to figure on Friday, but the House could not take it up because of the adjournment over Bhagwan Mann's video. Was it a ploy to stave off the Bill on the part of the BJP remains a big question? However, the KVP Bill is live and the parties such as the ruling TDP in Andhra Pradesh and YS Jaganmohan Reddy's YCP have decided to back the Bill in full despite their respective misgivings, coming as the Bill does from a Congress member. Now, the BJP's chicanery of increasing the Special Category Status from the Congress-proposed 5 years to 10 years by Venkaiah Naidu in the previous Lok Sabha would totally stand exposed. Of course, the BJP can find a subterfuge such as Mann's video and further stall the KVP Bill. But it cannot do so because its most important GST Bill is still hanging fire. The best option for the BJP-led government would be to make a common cause with the Congress and ensure the Bill is passed in the Upper House. Then it can bargain with the Congress for passing the GST Bill.