Petrol politics: 22 BJP states cut VAT; prices below Rs 100 in most BJP-ruled states/UTs

Most of the BJP-ruled states now have a sub-Rs 100 petrol price tag as they have been further reduced by as much as Rs 8.7 per litre and diesel by Rs 9.52 through a reduction in VAT.

The Union government had on Wednesday cut excise duty on petrol by Rs 5 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 10 a litre. This announcement was matched by 22 states and Union Territories cutting Value-Added Tax rates in different proportions.

However, there are 14 States/UTs which have not undertaken any reduction in VAT. These states include Congress and its allies ruled Rajasthan, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. AAP-ruled Delhi, TMC-governed West Bengal, Left-ruled Kerala, BJD-governed Odisha, TRS-led Telengana and YSR Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh.

The costliest petrol is sold in Congress-controlled Rajasthan at Rs 111.10 per litre (Jaipur).

The most reduction in the Petrol prices has been in UT of Ladakh, followed by Karnataka and Puducherry. The prices of Petrol in these UTs/state have come down by Rs 13.43, Rs 13.35 and Rs 12.85 respectively.

For Diesel, the most reduction has been undertaken by UT of Ladakh, leading to price coming down by Rs 19.61 per litre there, followed by Karnataka and Puducherry.