LS elections: TDP entices liquor lovers with quality drinks at discounted prices
The Janasena leader wondered why digital payments are not being accepted in liquor shops for all transactions across the country
“We will reduce commodity prices,” could be the standard refrain of any political party fighting elections. However, in Andhra Pradesh, the opposition TDP is trying to woo the ardent liquor lover with the promise of better quality of liquor at lower prices if voted to power.
Simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are scheduled for May 13 in the southern state.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the main opposition party, has also accused the YSRCP government of fixing excessively high prices that are not in line with the quality of the liquor.
TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, among others, has been consistently highlighting this issue during his campaign, claiming that the state is supplying poor quality liquor while benefiting immensely from ‘inflated’ prices running into thousands of crores of rupees.
According to reports, the state government has netted nearly Rs 24,000 crore through excise revenue in 2022-23, compared to over Rs 17,000 crore in 2019-20. YSRCP, led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was voted to power in 2019.
Liquor is sold through government-owned outlets in the state.
Naidu also lashed out at the chief minister saying he has gone back on his election promise to ban liquor if he comes to power in the 2019 assembly elections.
“The prices of all raw materials have risen exorbitantly, including soaring liquor prices. Our younger brothers cheer when I mention booze. They want liquor prices to be reduced. It is Jagan Mohan Reddy who increased the price from Rs 60 (for a nip) to Rs 200 and got Rs 100 in his pocket,” he claimed, amid cheers from the crowd.
Jagan is spoiling the health of our people by providing ‘cheap quality’ liquor, he claims in his opinion polls.
“I tell you, after 40 days (of TDP formation of government), we will take responsibility for reducing prices not only for quality liquor,” he recently promised at a rally in Kuppam, where he is contesting the elections.
Similarly, Pawan Kalyan, founder of Janasena, an NDA voter along with TDP, asked whether the state should implement a total ban or not. When the public reacted negatively, he said that health problems would arise if people consumed the liquor supplied by the YRCP government.
Jagan has ‘looted’ Rs 40,000 crore through liquor sales, the actor-politician alleged at a rally in Pithapuram, where he is testing his political career.
The Janasena leader wondered why digital payments are not being accepted in liquor shops for all transactions across the country.
“Where does the money go…about 74 percent of the total liquor sold is supplied by just 16 companies,” he said, adding that some of them are owned by YSRCP leaders.
He claimed that a national health survey showed that people in the state suffer the most from liver diseases due to ‘poor quality alcohol’.
Andhra Pradesh BJP chief D Purandeswari had earlier demanded a probe into the liquor trade in the state.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: April 7, 2024 | 9:24 am IST