Adilabad: Political Parties Ignore Water Crisis, Offer Free Alcohol to Woo Voters

Adilabad: Free liquor is flowing into many villages in the erstwhile Adilabad district where drinking water is not easily available

People in the interior villagers are getting finally water. Not for drinking purposes, but to mix with the liquor that is being freely distributed, courtesy of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday during peak summer.

Second-rung leaders of major political parties are visiting interior villages, especially tribal pockets, and distributing liquor. These leaders were not in sight when people wanted them the most as they struggled to drink water.

All major political parties are providing free liquor to men as well as soda and water bottles, while women voters are being cash in villages and urban areas.

The beneficiaries are being picked up by booth-level leaders from the lists of sympathisers. Parties are distributing cheap brands to villagers while youth are plumbing for beer. Interestingly, voters in bordering villages prefer Maharashtra liquor since they are used to the taste, and youth in urban areas prefer beer.

A senior leader working in Bela Mandal said there is a replay of the 2022 Munugode byelection, as far as distribution of liquor and cash is concerned.

Earlier, liquor was supplied to elderly voters. This time around, youth in villages are seen queuing up for beer and cash.

A local from Kupti of Boath mandal of Adilabad on Saturday mixed sulphuric acid used in vehicle batteries in the liquor and consumed it in an inebriated condition on Saturday. The incident took place when a group of youths was having a feast, after parking their vehicle at a distance.

Kagaznagar excise circle inspector Ravi Kumar said they seized 566 bottles of cheap liquor (90 ml) during the checking of the Ramagri Express train coming from Maharashtra and raided gudumba manufacturing places in Lonevalli and Lambadihatti in Chinthalamanepalli Mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district on Saturday.