Liquor politics hots up ahead of Madhya Pradesh Assembly election

Under the new excise policy, the state government has decided to close "ahatas" in the state, and end drinking at bars. From April onwards liquor will be sold only at liquor shops

Offering alcohol to the voter as inducement is commonly heard. But in MP, in the election year, it is opposition to liquor that’s being used as a political handle.

While the influence of former chief minister Uma Bharti, of the BJP, on the proposed excise policy of Madhya Pradesh is an example of this, another former chief minister Kamal Nath, of the Congress, has said under Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s leadership the state has become “Madira Pradesh” (liquor state) because drink is cheap and foodgrain not so.

Chief Minister Chouhan replied to say Nath had insulted the 850 million “innocent, hardworking, duty-bound and