MUMBAI, Jan. 15 -- The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim relief to an association of liquor vendors that had challenged the Maharashtra government's decision to impose restrictions on the sale of liquor from January 14 to January 16 in view of municipal corporation elections. Polling is scheduled on January 15 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, with counting of votes to be held the next day between 10 am and 5 pm. The state government issued a series of notifications between January 9 and January 12 banning liquor sales for the three days, including the polling day and the day of result declaration on January 16. The Association of Progressive Retail Liquor Vendors approached the high court seeking a direction to limit the restriction only to polling hours on January 15. It argued that the ban should apply only until voting concludes and not for two and a half days, contending that the extended restriction would cause "irreparable harm" to commercial establishments. The court said the challenge could be examined only if the rule itself, as it stands today, is found to be arbitrary and an unreasonable restriction on commercial activity and the right to carry on business. With these observations, it declined to grant interim relief, but issued notice to the respondents and posted the matter for further hearing on March 16....