This poll season, bartering liquor for votes will not be easy

Raipur, October 25

With poll fever gradually gripping Chhattisgarh and Election Commission (EC) concomitantly becoming austere, the political parties, who usually adopt age-old cult of bartering liquor for votes, are compelled to discover novel methods to influence voters this time as the commission has decided to monitor flow of alcohol during the festival of democracy through a special observer.

During elections, liquor has always been the easiest mode to woo impoverished class which invariably outnumbers middle and upper crust in terms of turnouts. Alcohol has actually become intact part of poll management. In Chhattisgarh, there has been marked rise in liquor consumption during polls. To prevent such malpractices and ensure that people cast their vote in full control of their mind, but not under any political party’s influence ,the EC will take stringent measures this time.

The average legal sale of alcohol in state is estimated to be around Rs 10 crore per day while illegal sale too is equally high. There are three distilleries and eight bottling plants in state. The Chhattisgarh beverage corporation has two godowns, in Mandir Hasaud under Raipur and Lingiyadih under Bilaspur. Besides, there are 27 warehouses. As the state will have two rounds of polls on November 11 and 19, all these places will be under camera surveillance till conclusion of second phase of polls.

The special observer has been directed to closely monitor production, distribution and sales channels of alcohol and prepare daily report of liquor consumption in state. The commission has directed all the five poll-bound states to appoint official on deputation from other states as special observer. In Chhattisgarh, the job has been entrusted to Santosh Kumar Mishra, an IAS of 2000 batch from Tamil Nadu cadre. He is in deputation in Chhattisgarh for five years since 2012. He will hold the post of special observer till December 11.

According to information, the state will forbid liquor sale two days (48 hours) before polling date. Earlier, on demand of political parties, chief election commissioner VS Sampath had sought state government’s opinion pertaining to prohibition of liquor sale at least seven days before polling date but the latter, pointing massive revenue loss, agreed for just two days.