A major take away for the BJP is the result it achieved in Surat, Gujarat. There was resentment in this area over GST and it was a major poll issue in Surat which is a trade hub.
The trader community held at least 14 percent of the vote share and in the run-up to the campaign, they were unhappy with the introduction of GST which they said had hit their business. The Congress tried to capitalise on this issue and even called GST as Gabbar Singh Tax. As early trends came in, it appeared it was touch and go for the BJP. After the initial scare, the BJP managed to retain most of the seats in Surat. After the GST rollout, Surat, in particular, had seen a series of protests. The protest by the textile traders was, in particular, a very significant one. The Centre had then got into damage control mode and reduced GST on yarn from 18 percent to 12 percent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his campaign said that he was ready to take the fall for the bold decisions he had made. He, however, managed to successfully convince many in Gujarat that his measures have a long-term effect. At least for now, it has paid off in Surat. OneIndia News