Gram Panchayat polls: Voters look forward to liquor, mutton party in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: Liquor sales have gone up by 125% in just 15 days in Belagavi district ahead of the Gram Panchayat polls. Knowing that it will be dry days soon due to the elections, many candidates are wooing voters by arranging lavish parties in the night offering liquor and biryani. To keep their supporters happy, the candidates are organising parties in farm houses.

According to the data of the excise department, 67,542 liquor and 21,560 beer boxes have been sold in the district after the announcement of the elections from the period December 1 to 14. In the same period last year, 54,106 boxes of liquor and 18,363 beer boxes were sold.

Besides this, some candidates in the villages close to Maharashtra and Goa borders are illegally transporting Goa liquor which is much cheaper than the one available here, according to sources. Sheep and goats have also become more expensive. The price of sheep weighing 15 to 18 kg is between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000. The price is now in the range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 in the rural parts of the district. —Sunil Patil