TDP’s’spirited’ electoral promise for alcohol enthusiasts in Andhra Pradesh: premium liquor at discounted rates

Every political party running for office may have as their standard response, “We will lower commodity prices.”

But in Andhra Pradesh, the opposition TDP is courting alcohol enthusiasts by promising better spirits at lower costs if they win the election.

On May 13, the southern state is set to hold simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and Assembly.

The major opposition party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has also accused the YSRCP government of imposing unnecessarily high liquor prices that are out of proportion to the product’s quality.

Campaigning on a number of fronts, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has continually brought up the matter. He claims the state has been selling booze of low quality while making huge profits from ‘inflated’ prices that amount to hundreds of millions of rupees.

Reportedly, the excise income generated by the state government in 2022–2023 was around Rs 24,000 crore, compared to over Rs 17,000 crore in 2019–2020.

The YSRCP, headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, won an election in 2019.

The state’s government-owned establishments sell alcohol.

In addition, Naidu attacks the Chief Minister, claiming that he has reneged on his pledge to outlaw alcohol if elected to office in the 2019 assembly elections.

“All commodity prices have skyrocketed, especially liquor prices, which are over the roof. My suggestion of drinking gets cheers from our younger brothers. They want a decrease in the cost of alcohol. To applause from the audience, he said, “Jagan Mohan Reddy raised the price from Rs 60 (for a nip) to Rs 200 and pocketed Rs 100.”

In his engagements relating to the survey, Jagan claims that the provision of “cheap quality” alcohol is endangering the health of our people.

At a recent rally in Kuppam, where he is running for office, he made the following promise: “I am telling you, after 40 days (of TDP forming the government), not only for quality liquor, we take the responsibility for reducing prices,”

In a similar vein, TDP member Pawan Kalyan, the founder of Janasena and an NDA supporter, questioned whether or not the state ought to impose complete ban.

When the public had a negative response, he said that drinking the alcohol provided by the YRCP government would lead to health issues.

During a meeting in Pithapuram, where he is trying his political career, the actor-politician said that Jagan had “looted” Rs 40,000 crore via the selling of booze.

The head of Janasena questioned why not all purchases at liquor stores around the nation are accepted using digital means.

“Where is the money going? Only 16 companies supply 74% of the total liquor sold,” he said, claiming that some of the companies are controlled by leaders of the YSRCP.

Based on a nationwide health assessment, he added, the state’s residents have suffered most from liver ailments as a result of “poor quality alcohol.”

D Purandeswari, the president of the Andhra Pradesh BJP, has previously called for an investigation into the state’s liquor industry.