T-bypoll campaign ends on a hic note

The electorate of four Assembly segments of Karimnagar guzzled liquor almost worth a crore every day during the 22 days of campaigning for the bypolls. As canvassing in the 12 Assembly constituencies in Telangana came to an end on Sunday the sales figure of booze in Karimnagar district alone stood at Rs 21,42,58,125 during campaigning.

In other districts going to polls, Warangal earned a revenue of Rs 8.20 crore while Medak registered sales of Rs 7.89 crore, officiails pegging the rise in revenues to bypolls. In Adilabad, it was Rs 11 crore. Though no final figures were available, Nizamabad may beat Karimnagar in record sales. Officials also pegged the rise in sales to the bypolls.

The Hujarabad constituency of Karimnagar, which falls on the other side of the district, was somewhat moderate in their consumption and Karimnagar city, which is not going in for polls, could not match the Jagityal division under which the four Assembly segments fall.

The Dharmapuri, Metpalli (now Korutla), Vemulawada, Siricilla and Ellereddy Assembly segments recorded the highest liquor consumption over the last fortnight. “We have no other option but to provide liquor every day. Otherwise, no worker comes to us. Apart from Rs 250, male and female workers were provided at least Rs 50 every day only for liquor,” said a candidate contesting from Korutla constituency. The candidates spent no less than Rs 1 lakh every day only on alcohol.

Since the police imposed a ban on liquor sale from 5 pm on Sunday to 5 pm Tuesday, insiders said political parties purchased huge quantities from wine shops and stored in “safe” places to distribute over Monday and Tuesday.

Normally, alcohol sales in these Assembly constituencies are less than half of what has been consumed over the last fortnight. Last year, between July 1 and 25, the sale of liquor in the four Assembly constituencies was Rs 10,81,86,065.

Excise officials informed that Jagityal topped the list followed by Metpalli and Siricilla. In the last 20 days, people in Jagityal consumed liquor worth Rs 5.65 crore against last year’s Rs 3.60 crore, Metpalli consumed Rs 5.16 crore against Rs 2.10 crore last year and Siricilla Rs 4.42 crore against Rs1.93 crore. The famous pilgrimage, Vemulawada, also figured in the race with liquor sales jumping more than 100 per cent at Rs 2.37 crore against Rs 1.10 crore last year.

“We got bulk orders on the last day. The business volume would be around Rs 1.5 crore on Sunday,” said a Wine Dealers’ Association office bearer.

Which political party spent most on the liquor? The association’s choice is the Congress, which according to them, had more cadres canvassing and also ensured their well being, followed by the Telugu Desam and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

The police, meanwhile, clamped restrictions on meetings and on movements of groups prior to the polls on July 27 in Karimnagar district and ministers who were deputed for election campaigns have left for Hyderabad.

The TRS chief Mr K. Chandrasekar Rao, however, decided to stay on in Karimnagar to fine-tune his party strategy. The TRS MP, Ms Vijayashanti, the Telangana ideologue Prof. Jayasankar and other leaders are also camped in Karimnagar district as five important segments are going in for polls.