Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh have been announced and the preparedness is on full swing. From political parties to state election commission, all are doing what is required to encourage voters. Recently, Jhabua district administration rolled back its plan of using stickers on liquor bottles to raise voter awareness, though initially going ahead with it.
Earlier, the district administration had distributed stickers across liquor stores, urging people to cast their vote in the upcoming polls. In the stickers — provided by the excise department — voters were requested to participate in the electoral process, which carried a message ‘hit the (voting) button without fail.
Later, realising the ‘pros and cons’, the administration decided to revoke the decision, reports ANI. However, bottles with stickers reached to some of the shops and even to the consumers. Elaborating more about it, a district excise officer said, as quoted by the news agency, “We’ve asked the shopkeepers to return the stickers.”
It is to be known that Madhya Pradesh is going to follow the footsteps of Bihar government and several liquor stores located within five km of the bank of river Narmada during his ‘Narmada Sewa Yatra’ were shut. Shivraj Singh Chouhan had even promised a blanket ban on the sale of liquor in the state. But, considering the tribal population in the state, state finance minister later announced that liquor sale will not be banned in Madhya Pradesh.
Taking the elections into account, the latest stickers on the liquor bottles row and later scrapping the plan, looks like there is wide confusion whether to ban it or not. On one side, Chouhan wants to ban it for one section of voters and on other side, he wants the voters of tribal population too. As the state will go for polls on November 28, more strange news are likely to pop up.
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