Curbs pinch poll material traders

NEW DELHI: A sullen gloom pervades Sadar Bazar, the city's wholesale hub that is usually bustling with activity in the election season. While the capital goes to polls in just two days, the 50-odd shops selling election publicity material are fully stocked with their banners, flags, caps, T-shirts, masks and badges of all major political parties. In the last few weeks, the market has hardly seen any buyers leaving traders and manufacturers completely dejected.
They claim to have sold only 20% of their stock this election season and blame the Election Commission's strict restrictions for the loss they have incurred in their business.
"We normally run out of stock by this time, but it has been no less than a nightmare for us. We have hardly seen any takers thanks to the Election Commission advisory, and candidates and party workers haven't bought anything in bulk. We will have to mortgage our jewellery to make for this loss. Worst affected are the daily wagers who come from UP and rent out rooms here to stitch flags and banners before elections,'' said Gulshan Khurana, who trades in election publicity material in Sadar Bazar.
Saying that the election atmosphere is dull in the absence of big posters, flags and banners in the city, traders claim the impact will be visible on May 7 with a low voter turnout. Said Mahesh Bhai, another trader, "It doesn't feel like election time. Our business has come down by 90%. I will close this business as soon as I clear my present stock.''
Anil Bhai Rakhiwala, the largest trader of election material in Sadar Bazaar, also admits a decline in sales by around 80% and attributes it to the political parties' preference for `hi-fi' advertising over the traditional. "The electronic media advertising has cost us our business. Candidates need to take permission to advertise through banners, flags and posters because of the Election Commission and don't want to waste campaigning time doing that. The ones who are getting hardly any publicity as a result are the independent candidates.''
Abdul Gaffar Ansari, who has been in this trade for over 40 years and supplies material across the country, recalled the good old days when candidates did not mind spending up to Rs 15 lakh on election publicity material. "We have done no business in Delhi and most of our supplies have gone to Mumbai and Rajasthan,'' said Mohammad Furkan of Ghaffar Bhai Jhandewalen.