West Bengal Assembly Election 2026: As West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 enter Phase 1 on April 23, a ban on the sale of liquor has come into effect from Tuesday. With polling scheduled for Thursday, liquor sales have already been halted in areas where voting will take place.
In a statement, the Election Commission of India 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 reached this conclusion based on multiple sources, including liquor monitoring exercises. It also noted that liquor sales in April have been higher than during the same period last year.
West Bengal is set for a high-stakes contest between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is aiming to come to power in the state.
On Monday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the poll body will leave no stone unturned to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the state. He added that no employee of the state government, local bodies or autonomous bodies will be allowed to influence the electoral process.