Polls add fizz to booze deals

■ 2-year tenure of liquor licences will cover 2 local polls, 2019 elections

The election season which stretches over two years from 2018 has sparked demand for liquor licences in the state. The Excise department issued notification on Wednesday to issue liquor licences bars for a two-year period from October 1.

Elections for cooperative societies are planned in early 2018, followed by elections to the mandal and zilla parishad territorial committees and sarpanches till June 2018. This will be capped by the general elections in 2019.

Major leaders in all political parties want their supporters to set up liquor shops as they do not want to depend on supporters of other parties during the election period.

Leaders strike deals with liquor shop owners to provide liquor to party activists and booth level leaders in each Assembly constituency on paper tokens issued by them. The leaders will later clear the bills. This process begins from the time of filing nomination papers till the polling is held.

“Liquor outlet owners get huge profits during the election season. This year, the licences are being issued for two-year period against the one year earlier, coinciding with elections from the village to the state level. The striking difference this time is that applicants with a strong financial background are vying for a majority of the shops by striking deals,” said Mr D. Venkateshwar Rao, president, TS Wine Dealers Association.