Partners in power — the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — have found another reason to be at loggerheads with each other. This time, it’s the government decision to exempt the Indian Premier League (IPL) from entertainment tax.
As the mega cricket event started in Navi Mumbai on Friday night, the voices of dissent within the Congress grew louder with many wondering why chief minister Ashok Chavan did not assert himself to tax the IPL. The angry Congress leaders are wondering why the government should forego the revenue which is rightly due to the state exchequer.
A senior cabinet minister said on the condition of anonymity: “Last week in the cabinet, a proposal to levy entertainment tax on IPL came up for discussion. However, due to differences, the cabinet did not take any formal view on the IPL tax issue.”
To pre-empt further discussions, finance minister Sunil Tatkare (NCP) declared there would be no entertainment tax on IPL. The decision taken by Tatkare has upset the Congress ministers. Later, Chavan refuted Tatkare’s statement, saying, “The cabinet has not taken final decision as yet.” But it did become embarrassing for the chief minister to overturn the announcement made by the finance minister.
However, to quell the controversies within the coalition partners, the Congress ministers have been reportedly told not to make an issue, as the revenue generated from the entertainment tax is not something which would affect the state income. The loss to the tune of Rs7-10 crore is not something the government cannot afford was the argument stated before the Congress leaders who tried to counter the NCP.
An NCP general secretary said, “We understand the Congress anger. But as a political partner, our ministers and leaders have every right to assert themselves. Nobody has stopped the Congress from asserting itself within the cabinet or politics.”
The Congress and NCP differences in the Democratic Front government have become a regular phenomenon and no longer restricted to policy matters. A section within the Congress is also upset with the NCP which is trying to have its way in shortlisting the candidates in the by-elections for the state legislature council.
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