As the Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency gears up for the second phase of voting on April 26, liquor shops across Noida and Greater Noida will halt operations for 48 hours, commencing from Wednesday evening. The District Excise Officer, Subodh Kumar Srivastava, emphasized that this order will be strictly enforced, and violators will be subject to legal repercussions, including fines or imprisonment, in accordance with established regulations.
According to Srivastava, election rules mandate the closure of liquor outlets 48 hours prior to polling. All authorized liquor stores within the jurisdiction will cease operations from 6 pm on Wednesday (April 24) and remain closed until 6 pm or the end of voting hours on Friday (April 26).
Excise officials are vigilantly monitoring liquor sales in Noida and Greater Noida during this period and promptly investigating any complaints of irregularities. The officer noted that individuals caught selling alcohol illegally during the closure period will face severe legal consequences, including fines or jail time as stipulated by Excise laws.
The second phase of the ongoing general elections on April 26 encompasses eight Lok Sabha constituencies, including Amroha, Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Bulandshahar. The Bahujan Samaj Party, the Opposition INDIA alliance, and the ruling NDA bloc are anticipated to engage in a three-way contest on seats such as Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Meanwhile, Ghaziabad is set to witness a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. Aligarh and Bulandshahar will see the BJP vying against the Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav.