Several chief ministers expressed reservations on the twin proposals to replace sales tax by additional excise duty on selected items and levying tax on inter-state consignment of goods, in spite of assurances by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the financial interests of the states would be protected.
Punjab is witnessing a multi-cornered contest among the Congress, AAP, SAD-BSP alliance, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) and the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political front of various farmer bodies.