Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has announced that the state will implement a phased closure of liquor shops, in a marked change from his earlier stand that total prohibition was not possible.

In fact, Chauhan had suggested that a better course of action would be to build an awareness campaign against the pernicious effects of alcoholism.

Now as a first step, 58 liquor shops within 5 km radius of Narmada river have been closed down. In the second phase, liquor shops in residential areas and those located near schools, colleges and religious places will come under the radar and will not have their licences renewed.

MP has been witnessing several protests by the Congress, the principal opposition party in the state, and several civil society organisations demanding that the state enforce a Bihar type total prohibition. Members of the Congress party have been in the forefront of picketing liquor outlets across the state. Few ruling BJP legislators, facing the heat from the locals, have been participating in protests demanding shutting down of liquor shops in residential neighbourhood.

Chauhan's tentative road-map towards prohibition also came in for severe criticism by Congress party. Madhya Pradesh state Congress president Arun Yadav said that chief minister is merely indulging in a rhetoric without the intent to enforce prohibition. He accused the state government of divergence between announcements and actions. He accused the state’s Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya of allowing new liquor shops near schools and residences.

Yadav said if a Congress government was voted to power in MP, a blanket ban on liquor will be implemented.

Several states in India have liquor prohibition laws. Thanks to the influence of Gandhian ideology, Gujarat has been a dry state for several decades now. Due to the enormous clout of church, the Christian majority states of Nagaland and Mizoram had a ban on liquor consumption for long. Union Territory of Lakshadweep has banned alcohol. Congress led Oomen Chandy government in Kerala began implementing prohibition on alcohol in a phased manner since 2014. Wine in Churches and liquor in upscale hotels were exempted from the scope of the ban in Kerala. Bihar, ruled by the socialist coalition of JD (U) - RJD-Congress, banned alcohol sale on 1 April 2016.

In a surprise move Tamil Nadu also announced recently that it plans to phase out liquor shops. The monopoly over retailing liquor that state run TASMAC has provided the state funds to run its 'cradle to grave' welfare schemes.

Many observers in the MP think that Chauhan's move is a tactical ploy to buy peace with anti-liquor agitators and also beat the Congress party at its own game. Congress was hoping that the public protests demanding prohibition will snowball into wave of anger against the Chauhan government.

BJP spokesperson Rajnish Aggarwal said that blanket ban isn't possible unless people themselves support the move. Many states have tried to ban liquor and failed, he said. That's why the government is forming committees in panchayats, he reasoned. Chief Minister Chauhan said that his government will soon start an awareness campaign against alcohol.