The Bangalore Hotels Association has urged the Karnataka government to withdraw a dry-day order linked to the upcoming biennial elections to four Legislative Council seats, warning that bars, restaurants and pubs in Bengaluru could face projected business losses of more than Rs 500 crore.
In a letter dated October 13 to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the association said dry-day restrictions had been declared from 4 pm on October 21 until October 23, and again on October 27, the day votes are counted. It said the restrictions would affect the hospitality industry and reduce revenue collected by the state government’s Excise Department.
The elections to the four Legislative Council seats are scheduled for October 23, from 8 am to 4 pm. The constituencies going to the polls are Karnataka South-East Graduates’, Karnataka West Graduates’, Karnataka North-East Teachers’ and Bangalore Teachers’.
The association questioned the extent of the proposed restriction in Bengaluru, saying the election involved approximately 20,000 voters, of whom around 15,000 were women. It said declaring a dry day across Bengaluru city, excluding the Police Commissionerate limits, would cause unnecessary hardship to liquor vendors and hospitality businesses.
“Declaring a dry day across Bengaluru city (excluding the Police Commissionerate limits) in connection with an election involving such a limited number of voters will cause unnecessary hardship to liquor vendors and the hospitality industry,” the association said in its letter, according to the report.
The association also claimed that the restrictions could result in business losses exceeding Rs 500 crore. It said the impact would extend beyond individual establishments to the state’s excise collections, which are linked to the sale and licensing of alcoholic beverages.
Its representation comes as Bengaluru’s hospitality sector prepares for multiple restricted trading periods during the election schedule. Establishments affected by the order would include bars, restaurants and pubs, although the supplied report does not provide details of the specific licensing provisions or enforcement arrangements under the order.
The dry-day schedule covers the period immediately before and during polling, as well as the counting date. Polling for the four constituencies will take place on October 23, while October 27 has been designated as the vote-counting day. The association’s request seeks withdrawal of the restriction for both the election and counting process.
The group asked the chief minister to reconsider the order in the interest of the hospitality industry. The supplied report does not state whether the Karnataka government had accepted the request, modified the schedule or issued a response to the association’s letter.
