The newly appointed chairman of the empowered committee of state finance ministers on goods and services tax (GST), Sushil Kumar Modi, is one of the few BJP leaders after Atal Bihari Vajpayee who commands clout across party lines.
It is precisely this reason that his name was picked to lead the co-ordinated centre-state efforts on GST implementation. He became the first choice after former West Bengal finance minister Asim Dasgupta exited as chairman of the committee.
Holding the dual responsibility of Deputy Chief Minster and finance minister of Bihar, Modi initially refused the job, citing state responsibilities, but after persuasion from Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, he relented.
The suave politician has a zeal for work sans fanfare. The results in the November 2010 assembly elections in the state speak for Modi’s ability to bring people together from diverse sections to support his cause. BJP won 91 seats out of 102 contested.
Immediately after being elected, Modi stressed that to roll out GST, it was important to keep a balance between harmony and fiscal autonomy of states, so that everybody got some flexibility.
As Finance Minister of Bihar he, along with chief minister Nitish Kumar, has succeeded in pushing Bihar to clock over 10 per cent GSDP growth rate.
Though he took part in the JP movement, Modi was a reluctant entrant in politics. However, once he entered the scene at the insistence of Vajpayee, he has not looked back since then.
Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly for three consecutive terms from 1990-2004, Modi was leader of opposition from 1996-2004. He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 but moved back to the state as deputy chief minister in November 2005 – a responsibility that he holds till today.
Those who know him, say, challenges are way of life for 59-year old Modi -- the tougher the better.
