ote bank politics is the only kind of politics that seems to work. And it is a testimony to this hypothesis that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa jumped on to the prohibition bandwagon, during her first campaign rally in Chennai on Saturday, after months of maintaining silence on the subject.
Claiming that total prohibition was her policy right from the beginning, Ms. Jayalalithaa promised the electorate prohibition in phases as the liquor trade could not be done away with in a day or with a single signature.
“The Chief Minister’s statement reflects the popular mood. There is also political pressure,” says Prof. A.R. Venkatachalapathy of Madras Institute of Development Studies.
“It is a good response in the sense that total prohibition can’t be implemented overnight. No party was talking about rehabilitation of lakhs of alcohol addicts. Making a provision for de-addication clinics is welcome,” he adds.
Despite a spike in anti-liquor protests after the death of Gandhian activist Sasi Perumal last July, the Chief Minister remained silent till now.
The Chief Minister, officials say, knows her math. Financially speaking, her statement makes sense as at a go the State can’t afford to lose over Rs. 25,000 crore in revenue annually, roughly 21 per cent of the State’s Own Tax Revenue.
Now with the 7{+t}{+h}Pay Commission looming large, the State’s finances will be under tremendous strain and public finance experts have warned of a huge fiscal deficit. This could be another reason she has promised prohibition in phases, they say. “The Third Front is credible now [the PWF, DMDK and TMC] and the momentum is with these parties on an anti-liquor campaign. Both the DMK and the AIADMK have been compelled to announce prohibition,” says Venkatesh Athreya, noted economist and political commentator. “There is also a very, very strong sentiment among women against liquor,” he says, pointing out that historically the AIADMK has enjoyed the support of women voters.
Early this month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced total prohibition. It was seen as a fulfilment of a poll promise to women.
Populist announcement
In this context, Ms. Jayalalithaa’s promise of phased prohibition is being widely seen as another populist announcement with the intention of taking the thunder out of DMK’s main poll plank. And of course, to keep the women’s vote base with her.
