BELAGAVI: For the weavers of Shahapur and Vadgaon in Belagavi district, the upcoming Assembly election has not been as lucrative as the previous polls. Assembly elections have always been a boon for the weaver community of Shahapur and Vadgaon as several candidates from Belagavi and other districts purchase saris in thousands and distribute them among women voters and party workers.
The popular Shahapuri saris, which were earlier in huge demand during the poll season, have seen a drastic fall in sales due to its high cost. Candidates of various parties are now opting for cheaper options such as saris from Surat, Banahatti and Ichalkaranji.
Party candidates are known to have approached wholesalers well in advance. These wholesalers then set a deadline for weavers to complete an order. Election time has always been the busiest time of the year for these weavers. But not this time.
Amit Patil, a weaver from Shahapur, said the cheapest Shahapuri sari starts at`400. But the buyers wanted it for lesser. Last election season each sari cost at least `220.
“On an average, each weaver has four to six machines in Vadgaon and Shahapur. It takes three days to make one sari and a weaver makes just `120 per piece. In a day, one weaver makes three saris on an average. However, at any given time, a weaver has a stock of 100 to 200 saris.
For big orders, one has to approach wholesalers who have a large stock. These buyers did not want to pay as much as `400 per sari. Since the wholesalers did not want to turn back their customers, they approached the weavers of Ichalkaranji, Banahatti and Surat for cheaper saris.”