Maharashtra dry days: No alcohol sale in Mumbai, other cities on these dates this month
Maharashtra will be observing several dry days this month in view of the state Assembly elections.
Several dry days will be observed in Mumbai and other cities of Maharashtra this month in view of the state assembly elections. The Election Commission of India (EC) has mandated these dry days to ensure orderly voting.
Dry days refer to those days when alcohol sales are banned in a region, which usually happens on key national, religious, or cultural events as well as elections to ensure peaceful conduct of the same.
According to the Election Commission of India, Maharashtra will observe dry days on:
November 18: From 6 pm
November 19: Total ban
November 20: Till 6 pm
November 23: Alcohol sales banned till 6 pm
Maharashtra Assembly elections
Voting for the Maharashtra assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20, with all 288 constituencies polling on the same day.
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Along with Maharashtra, assembly elections are also happening in Jharkhand, where voting is taking place in two phases - November 13 and November 20.
Counting of votes for both Maharashtra and Jharkhand will take place on the same day - November 23.
Meanwhile, in a bid to get as many people as possible to come out and vote, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared November 20 as a holiday for all businesses and offices under its jurisdiction.
The BMC has directed offices to not deduct pay or slap penalties on their employees who for taking the day off to vote.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had last month voiced his apprehension regarding the low voter turnout in several urban constituencies of Maharashtra, including Colaba, Pune, and Thane, during a press conference.
The Election Commission acknowledged the presence of "urban apathy" in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and pledged to take all necessary measures to counter this trend.