Telangana election: Booze before voting will get you booked!

HYDERABAD: Liquor guzzlers beware. Come December 7, the poll day for Telangana, cops deployed as part of security arrangements will be armed with breath analysers near the polling stations to check intoxicated voters.


Telangana chief electoral officer (CEO) Dr Rajat Kumar said that though it is not possible to conduct a breath check on every voter entering the polling station as there was not enough workforce. He said random tests would be carried out near the polling stations.

Nalgonda SP A Y Ranganath told TOI that cases would be booked on drunk persons who try to cast a vote under section 188 IPC(disobeying the orders of public person) and section 132 of the Representation of People Act for misconduct at the polling station. “Suspected drunk voters would be checked randomly with breath analysers near polling stations,” the SP said.

On November 16. an NGO. Bangaru Telangana Sadhana Samithi had filed a petition with Telangana CEO alleging that liquor is being distributed on a large scale to influence voters. P Shiva Kumar Goud president of the NGO had asked the CEO to arrange for the breath analysers at every polling booths. The CEO then sought clarication on the matter from the Election Commission, who informed that provision 131 of RP act can be used if any person misconducts or fails to obey the lawful directions can be removed from the polling station by the presiding officer.

The CEO has sent a communication to police and excise department following which police has decided to use breath analysers.

Rajat Kumar said that the Election Commission has cracked whip against the use of liquor. “Liquor sales dropped by 35 per cent in 2018 November when compared to the same period last year due to closure of belt shops. Around 4.7 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 9.6 crore was seized so far,” he said.