Long Dry Spell in Bengal: Bars closed, Kolkata faces liquor ban in run-up to Assembly Elections; Here’s what you must know?

As West Bengal prepares for its two-phase Assembly elections on April 23 and April 29, the Excise Department on Sunday imposed a ban on the sale of alcohol in Kolkata and adjoining districts — South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.

The move comes as part of a “monitoring exercise” conducted in the run-up to the elections. In an official notice, the Excise Commissioner cited an unusual surge in liquor sales during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) period. The department flagged a spike detected through analytics tools, including the ePoS module and district-level monitoring reports.

“In course of liquor monitoring exercise done through the Analytics module, ePoS module, and daily liquor monitoring reports received from districts during the MCC period of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections 2026, it has been observed that there is an unusual spurt in sale ofliquor,” the notice read.

According to the notice, there has been a sharp increase in the lifting of packaged liquor by retailers from state depots in April 2026 compared to the same period last year. 

Authorities also noted a rise in the number of “sensitive” outlets and a growing number of complaints related to liquor, raising concerns that alcohol could be used as an inducement in the poll-bound state. “There has also been a sudden growth in lifting of packaged liquor by retailers from WBSBCL Depots during April, 2026 in comparison to the corresponding period last year. Further, there has been an unusual increase in the number ofsensitive shops identified on the basis ofthe prescribed criteria,” it added.

While dry days are typically enforced 48 hours before polling, the early implementation — extended to 96 hours — caught both businesses and customers off guard.

Following the order, liquor shops and bars across the city have either shut down or announced temporary closures. Park Street, known as the city’s nightlife hub, wore a deserted look on Monday, with many patrons leaving disappointed. Though restaurants kept their kitchens open, footfall dropped significantly, according to staff at several establishments.

“It’s unprecedented. We received the order this morning with no clarity on how long it will last. The notice came through a WhatsApp group, and we complied immediately,” said a staff member at a well-known Park Street restaurant, requesting anonymity.

The sudden decision has not gone down well with restaurant owners and patrons, many of whom criticised the “hasty and unexplained” rollout.

“This is uncalled for and weird to be honest. Is this what we are going to face when BJP comes to power in Bengal? The state is under Election Commission now. They just want to malign Bengal. People in Bengal are educated and are not unruly that you need to make this a dry state. This is a hasty and unexplainable action,” said a customer exiting a restaurant in central Kolkata.

The directive, issued to district magistrates and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, emphasised the “gravity of the situation” and mandated an extended closure period beyond standard norms.

Under the order, liquor sales will remain suspended from April 20 to April 23 for Phase 1. Shops will briefly reopen on April 24 and April 25 (until 6 pm), before another closure leading up to Phase 2 on April 29. Establishments will also remain shut on May 4, the counting day.