As of 11 December, over 10 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 23.84 crore has been seized from Gujarat, Election Commission data shows.
New Delhi: Voter turnout may have fallen in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly polls and the political discourse may have touched new lows, but the flow of booze is at an all-time high in the dry state in this election season.
As of 11 December, 2017 over 10 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 23.84 crore has been seized from Gujarat, Election Commission data shows.
Liquor worth Rs 3 lakh-5 lakh is being seized almost on a daily basis in the state where the poll code is being enforced. Significant quantities are also being confiscated from near the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
During the 2012 assembly elections, liquor worth no more than Rs 1.57 crore was seized from Gujarat. Later, during the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the seizure was worth Rs 0.03 crore only.
EC data accessed by ThePrint shows that 16.79 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and 5.56 lakh litres of country liquor were seized in 2012.
The figures for the 2007 assembly elections are said to be even lower, EC estimates suggest, although data of liquor seized was not collected in 2007.
Officials familiar with the developments said that it was evident that political parties were actively and increasingly using alcohol to influence voters. That the jump in alcohol movement across the state is so high indicates how closely the election is being contested.
However, it is also to the credit of strong enforcement during the period of the model code of conduct that such a significant quantity of alcohol could be seized, the sources added.
The flow of alcohol in large quantities also means considerable movement of vehicles ferrying them. Every time illegal liquor is seized, the vehicle transporting it is also seized by enforcement authorities. This significantly increases the total financial implications involved, officials said.