Ahead of the GST Council meeting scheduled here on Saturday, Opposition parties have sought to put up a fight against the implementation of the indirect tax regime, which is to kick in from July 1.

The Opposition’s efforts are intended to defer the GST’s rollout, which was earlier scheduled to go live from April 1, 2017.

Supporting her Finance Minister Amit Mitra, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the State’s Trinamool Congress government would not support the GST in its present form.

Banerjee said her government would write to the Union Finance Minister for necessary changes so as to make the tax regime suitable for all sections of society. “In its present form, it doesn’t suit every section, especially the unorganised sector. They (Centre) have to rectify it,” she told an administrative meeting in South 24 Parganas district on Friday.

The CPI(M) has also raised apprehensions about the tax rates. Politburo member Prakash Karat said in Coimbatore that his party wanted a review of the listing of commodities in various slabs, as some sectors, small businesses and manufacturing, will be severely affected by the present rates. “The government should have wide ranging consultations with organisations, associations and trader bodies before arriving at a final rate,” he said.

CPI(M)-ruled Kerala has been supportive of the GST. However, recently, State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the GST would will take away the rights of the State to impose taxes.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has also sharpened his attack against GST, saying ground-level preparation is poor and “hopelessly” inadequate. “Implementing it now will be disastrous. GSTN is anti- national,” the senior MP said.