The Bangalore Hotels Association has urged the Karnataka government to withdraw a dry day order issued for elections to four Legislative Council seats, claiming that the restrictions could cause business losses exceeding Rs 500 crore across Bengaluru’s bars, restaurants and pubs.
In a letter dated October 13 to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the association said the dry day would begin at 4 pm on October 21 and continue until October 23. A separate restriction has also been notified for October 27, the day scheduled for vote counting, according to the association’s representation.
The biennial elections to the four Karnataka Legislative Council seats will be held on October 23 from 8 am to 4 pm. The constituencies are Karnataka South-East Graduates’, Karnataka West Graduates’, Karnataka North-East Teachers’ and Bangalore Teachers’.
The association has argued that the restrictions are disproportionate to the size of the electorate involved. It said the election covers approximately 20,000 voters, of whom around 15,000 are women, and questioned the need for a dry day across Bengaluru city, excluding the Police Commissionerate limits, in connection with the poll.
According to the association, the order would impose significant financial pressure on liquor vendors and hospitality establishments while also reducing revenue for the state government’s Excise Department. Its estimate of losses exceeding Rs 500 crore was presented as a projected impact of the restrictions; the supplied report does not include an independent assessment of that figure.
The representation reflects the operational dependence of Bengaluru’s hospitality businesses on permitted alcohol sales and the effect that election-related administrative orders can have on urban commercial activity. Bars, restaurants and pubs will be unable to sell liquor during the notified dry day periods if the order remains in force.
The association said the restrictions would adversely affect the broader hospitality industry and asked the government to withdraw the dry day order connected with both polling and the counting process. The supplied report does not state whether the Karnataka government had accepted the request, modified the order or issued a response.
The election schedule remains unchanged in the information available: polling is set for October 23 between 8 am and 4 pm, with vote counting scheduled for October 27. The government’s decision on the association’s request will determine whether the notified dry day periods remain applicable to the affected establishments.
