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Ruling ally Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) has urged the Bihar government to review its 10-year-old prohibition policy — signalling differences within the ruling National Democratic Alliance over one of the Nitish Kumar government’s most polarising decisions. The remarks come ahead of elections for five Bihar Rajya Sabha seats.
Participating in an ongoing debate in the Bihar Assembly, RLM’s Madhubani MLA Madhav Anand called prohibition one of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s “landmark decisions”, saying: “CM has taken many landmark decisions and has also reviewed some of them from time to time. Liquor ban is one such landmark decision. Time has come to review liquor law. We have to assess if it is working or not”.
The remarks come as Bihar’s total prohibition completes 10 years. They also came ahead of elections for five Bihar Rajya Sabha seats — one of which was being held by RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha.
Speaking to The Indian Express later, Anand said he had praised several NDA government programmes. “When it came to liquor law, I did request the CM, who was present in the House, to review liquor law. This intervention should be taken objectively and not as a matter of criticism,” he said.
The remarks have strengthened Opposition calls for a policy review. The Opposition has long criticised the prohibition law, claiming it fuels the state’s illegal liquor trade.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said the demand provides impetus to Opposition views.
“Even if we do not go into the ethical part of the liquor ban, data shows that liquor ban has never succeeded anywhere in the world. Bihar has an estimated parallel liquor economy of Rs 25,000 crore involving women and children. Besides, over 400 people have died in hooch tragedy in the last 10 years. What Madhav Anand said should be taken seriously,” he said.
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Congress, on the other hand, gave the remarks a political spin, claiming Anand was “trying to put some pressure on BJP and JD(U) to renominate RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha to Rajya Sabha”. RLM chief and former Union Minister Kushwaha is among five Rajya Sabha MPs whose terms are ending soon.
Rajya Sabha elections have been announced, with nominations on February 26 and voting on March 16.
“But we are on the same page with Anand on seeking review of liquor law. Country-made liquor is manufactured and sold with impunity,” Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said.
The NDA, however, sought to downplay the remarks, with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary saying there was no question of recalling the liquor law.
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“Let one identify any errant police officers, we will take action against them,” Bihar Prohibition and Excise Department Minister Madan Sahani said, adding: “We keep reviewing the liquor law from time to time”.
Bihar prohibition came into force on April 1, 2016. Currently, almost a fourth of the state’s prisoners are jailed for prohibition-related cases.
Since it was first enforced, the Nitish Kumar government has brought three sets of amendments to tone down some of the stricter provisions — including community fines and arrest of all family members if one member was found consuming liquor. Significantly, 80–90 percent of those jailed under liquor-related offences belong to Dalit, Extremely Backward Class and Other Backward Class sections — a major NDA voter base.
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