Hyderabad: Liquor lovers in Hyderabad will have to brace for a four-day dry spell as the Excise Department has ordered the closure of all wine shops and bars in view of the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-election.
According to the directive, all liquor outlets, including bars, wine shops, toddy depots, and restaurants serving alcohol, within the Jubilee Hills constituency will remain closed from 6 p.m. on November 9 until the completion of polling on November 12.
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The restrictions have been imposed as part of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) regulations to ensure free and fair elections. Additionally, liquor shops across Hyderabad district will also remain shut during this period as a precautionary measure.
The Excise Department further announced that liquor outlets will also stay closed on November 14, the vote counting day, from morning until the completion of the counting process. If a repoll is required, the dry day restrictions will be extended accordingly.
Polling for the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election is scheduled for November 11, with 58 candidates contesting. The election was necessitated following the demise of BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath. His wife, Maganti Sunitha, has been nominated by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to contest the seat.
Senior party leaders, including working president K.T. Rama Rao, several MLAs, former ministers, and party functionaries, are actively campaigning across the constituency to secure victory for the BRS candidate.