Till the other day, it was the Bharatiya Janata Party which had been on the back foot over the steep increase in petrol and diesel prices across the country.
The party had to pay a heavy penalty in the just-concluded by-elections, where it could win just seven out of 30 assembly seats which went to polls.
In the Telugu states, too, the BJP was facing criticism from all sections of people over the ever-rising prices of petrol.
In the by-elections to Huzurabad in Telangana and Badvel in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the YSR Congress respectively raised the issue of rising prices of petrol and diesel during the BJP regime at the Centre.
Of course, the BJP could win the Huzurabad seat, but it was mostly because of the personal image of former health minister Eatala Rajender. Yet, the BJP had no answer to the TRS campaign against rising prices of petrol and diesel.
Within a day after the by-election results, the Narendra Modi government came up with an announcement reducing the central excise on petrol by Rs 5 and on diesel by Rs 10. The reduced prices came into force from Thursday.
Soon after the Modi government made the announcement, several BJP-ruled states, too, declared that they, too, be reducing the state Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel immediately, giving huge relief to the common people. Even the Delhi government ruled by Aam Aadmi Party also brought down the VAT.
Now, the BJP has started targeting non-BJP ruled states for not following the Centre and some other states in reducing the taxes.
Particularly in Andhra Pradesh, where the state tax is one of the highest in the country, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government is under tremendous pressure to reduce the VAT on petrol and diesel.
The main opposition Telugu Desam Pary and the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party have mounted attack on the Jagan government for keeping silent on the reduction of VAT on petrol and diesel.
“When will the chief minister wake up from slumber and reduce the tax? He is only interested in collections and not giving relief to the people,” TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh criticised.
BJP state president Somu Veerraju also demanded that Jagan should bring down the state taxes on petrol and diesel, following the footsteps of the Centre.
In Telangana, too, the BJP has started attacking the KCR government for not reducing the taxes on petrol and diesel.
BJP president Bandi Sanjay demanded that the TRS government should extend immediate relief to the people by bringing down the state taxes.
