West Bengal polls: Liquor black market gets a second birth, thanks to EC’s record ban

Kolkata: The fine art of bootlegging — once thought to be a fading relic of the past — has made a dramatic comeback in Kolkata, driven by the unprecedented 9.5-day liquor ban imposed ahead of the elections. From shadowy roadside exchanges to discreet home deliveries, an underground network of illegal liquor sales has sprung to life across the city, thriving on soaring demand and restricted supply.

On Tuesday, a New Alipore resident rode all the way to Pailan to buy liquor from a makeshift outlet operating out of an under-construction building. In Bhowanipore, another resident tapped his network and had bottles delivered home by a biker — at a steep premium.




Across Kolkata, similar stories surfaced through the day, highlighting the lengths people are going to during the enforced dry spell. What is usually a routine purchase has turned into a covert exercise, with buyers relying on informal contacts, coded exchanges and sharply inflated prices.

Several areas have quickly emerged as black-market hubs. Pailan in Behala, stretches near Dakshineswar Bridge, the vicinity of Hanuman Mandir near College Street, and pockets such as Goborjhuri in Behala and Jadavpur, along with Gholesahapur Bajar, are among the spots where liquor is being sold discreetly.

Prices have surged significantly. Premium liquor such as Scotch is being sold at nearly 50% above retail rates, while lower-end whisky, vodka and rum are fetching almost double their usual price.

The situation has revived memories of the pre-2015 period, when Kolkata residents routinely dealt with frequent dry days — as many as 13 annually. In recent years, under the Trinamool govt, this had been reduced to about four and a half days a year.

The impact of the sudden shutdown was visible in areas like Chiriamore on BT Road, where liquor shops downed shutters immediately after the order. Yet, supply chains have persisted. On Monday evening, customers were seen lingering near closed outlets, while others slipped into nearby lanes and returned with plastic packets containing bottles.

A middle-aged man waiting outside one such lane said he managed to procure a bottle through a familiar shop owner, but had to pay Rs 300 extra. An IT professional from Sinthi More described a more organised setup, with home delivery arranged through a contact, at an additional Rs 400 per bottle.

Industry insiders said the current nine-and-a-half-day dry spell is among the longest in recent memory, barring the Covid-19 lockdown. Traditionally, dry days were limited to a few national holidays and select occasions.

The present restrictions, however, are linked to the poll schedule, with voting spread across April 23 and April 29, prompting a prohibition from April 20 to April 29, with limited relaxation in between.

(With inputs from Udit Prasanna Mukherji)
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