A ban on the sale of liquor, which begins two days before the election, has been brought forward for West Bengal. With the election due on April 23, the ban has already been put in place. The sale of liquor has stopped in the areas where polling will be held on Thursday.
In a statement, the Election Commission said, "It has been observed that there is an unusual spurt in sale of liquor".
"There has also been a sudden growth in lifting of packaged liquor by retailers from WBSBCL Depots during April, 2026 in comparison to the corresponding period last year. Further, there has been an unusual increase in the number of sensitive shops identified on the basis of the prescribed criteria," the statement added.
The Commission said it has come to this conclusion from multiple sources including liquor monitoring exercises. The sale of liquor in April has also been more than the corresponding period last year, the poll body said.
Bengal is set for a high-voltage battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP, which is hoping to capture power in the state.
On Monday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said they will leave no stone unturned to hold free, fair and transparent polls in Bengal. No employee of the state government, local bodies or autonomous bodies will be allowed to influence the electoral process, the Commission said.
The Trinamool, which has locked horns with the Commission over the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, has accused it of aiding the BJP - a charge the commission has denied.
The poll body has also reshuffled bureaucrats and police officers in the state since the elections were announced - a move that has again drawn the anger of the state government and the ruling party.
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