BHUBANESWAR: It’s peak election season, and as political parties lock horns traders selling poll merchandise are doing brisk business in the State. While politicians and candidates in the fray are engaged in wooing voters, traders and businessmen manufacturing and selling campaign materials are busy supplying the stuff to their clients, reaping the mullah.
From hoardings, banners and posters to flags and standees, the manufacturers and traders are printing and supplying these in bulk to the political parties. Sources said, ruling BJD leaders have placed orders for flex hoardings worth `61.66 lakh to a city-based printing firm Hindustan Advertiser while orders for hoardings and banners worth `7 lakh have been given to another city-based firm Bill Board Communications.
Likewise, Congress leaders have placed orders for hoardings worth over `45 lakh to a printing firm Mindflame Media. The BJP state unit leaders have also placed orders for campaign materials worth crores to firms, both in and outside Odisha, for the four-phased elections.
“We expect a brisk business as a large number of orders are pouring in,” said one of the offset printer owners who has already delivered campaign materials worth `15 lakh to his clients in March and received orders for flex banners worth `20 lakh for this month.
With parties and candidates placing orders for campaign materials in crores of rupees many offset printers in the Capital have procured additional printing machines on contract basis to deal with the rush, sources said.Apart from hoarding and banners, sale of merchandise such as caps, T-shirts and jackets is also thriving in the State.
The BJP seems to be a step ahead of other political parties in merchandise campaigning in Odisha.
In Bhubaneswar, the saffron party has installed a NaMo stall to sell merchandise of its leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the T-shirts with popular tag lines ‘Main Bhi Chawkidar’ and ‘NaMo Again’ that cost `100 to `200 are selling like hot cakes.
“We have sold around 10,000 T-shirts in 15 days,” said Susanta Bhoi, the store manager, adding, “the store is making a daily business of `10,000 to `12,000 which on occasions goes up to `40,000 a day.”
To attract public to purchase more campaign materials BJP is also selling merchandise like badges, key rings, pen, watches and coffee mugs with interesting punch lines and photograph of the PM.
Party orders
BJD leaders have placed orders for flex hoardings worth Rs 61.66 lakh and hoardings and banners worth Rs 7 lakh
Congress leaders have placed orders for hoardings worth Rs 45 lakh
BJP state unit leaders placed orders for campaign materials worth crores to firms, both in and outside Odisha