Sale and consumption of liquor has been prohibited in parts of Bengaluru city from Monday to Wednesday for the biennial MLC elections in the Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies on October 28, police said. With this, all liquor vendors, pubs and bars will remain closed till midnight of Tuesday in designated areas. All these establishments will start functioning only from Wednesday.
The areas include HSR Layout, Koramangala, Electronic City, Jayanagar, Hanumanthangar, VV Puram, RR Nagar, Vijayanagara, Devanahalli, Amruthahalli, Yelahanka, Malleshwaram, Subramanya Nagara,Hebbal, KR Puram and Kengeri among others.
"Sale, consumption and procurement of all types of liquor are prohibited from October 26 evening to October 28 midnight in the Bangalore Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies where bye-elections are due on Wednesday for the state Legislative Council," ordered city police commissioner Kamal Pant.
The bye-elections are being held in two Graduates' and two Teachers' segments in Karnataka to fill vacancies after the term of the incumbent members lapsed in June. The vacancies are in the state's South East Graduates and West Graduates' segments and Bangalore Teachers' and the state's North East Teachers' constituencies.
"The ban on liquor is to prevent anti-social elements taking advantage of the situation after consuming it and indulging in acts of violence that will disrupt free and fair polling," said the order.
In all, 40 candidates, including Independents and members of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) are in the fray. The counting of votes will take place on November 2.
In the 75-member Council, the BJP presently has 28 seats, followed by Congress with 27, JD-S with 14, one Independent and one chairman, while four are vacant.
Bye-elections to two Assembly segments in the city's Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Sira in Tumakuru district are also being held on November 3 to fill vacancies. Vote count for the Assembly bye-polls is on November 10.