KOCHI: Kerala High Court has directed the Excise department to ensure that the directives of the Election Commission to declare dry days in Thrikkakara and Ernakulam constituencies as part of the byelection should be implemented without fail.
The order stated that all liquor outlets within the Thrikkakara constituency should remain closed from 6 pm on May 29 till 6 pm on May 31 and further for the entire 24 hours in Ernakulam constituency on June 3, which is the counting day. The counting is to be held at the Maharajas College auditorium. Justice Devan Ramachandran held that necessary notices and instructions will be given by the Excise department to the bar owners and various other liquor outlets within these two territories.
The court issued the order on the petitions filed by bar hotel owners challenging the Election Commission’s order. They argued that they are all beyond the territorial limits of the Thrikkakara constituency, where the byelection is being held. Therefore the directive of the Election Commission to declare ‘dry days’ in the constituency would not apply to them, the bar owners said.