Lok Sabha elections 2024: Hub of poll merchandise sees 90 per cent drop in orders

Caps and badges used for campaigning; Masks of major political figures. Pics/Diwakar Sharma

The political atmosphere for the 18th Lok Sabha election is heating up with the first of the seven phases set to take place on April 19. However, businessmen dealing in campaign merchandise are yet to get orders from political parties this season. The demand for poll merchandise has plummeted by nearly 90 per cent during this election season, with political parties not placing orders for mufflers, flags, caps, badges, torans, cutouts, masks, wristbands and other promotional items, with a shift towards surrogate campaigning on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and X (Twitter).

mid-day visited wholesalers and retailers at Delhi's Sadar Bazar, where the businessmen attributed the remarkable decline in traditional orders to the increasing dominance of digital campaigning, which has significantly impacted their business. "The Lok Sabha elections are at hand and the first phase of election is set to take place in a few days, but no political parties have approached us to make election merchandise used in campaigning," said Manoj Kumar, a businessman from Garg Enterprises. Kumar has been in this business for over two decades but never faced such a notable decline in orders, said his colleague Shambhunath Patel, who sat idle at his shop when mid-day visited on Tuesday.

The Sadar Bazar area had been buzzing with orders for poll merchandise in 2014 when the BJP announced Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. Speaking with mid-day, Patel said, "We would never sit idle like this during the Lok Sabha election in 2014 when we had no time to speak to anyone because the orders came in bulk from all political parties nearly four months before the poll."

Mufflers with branding of political parties

According to Patel, business was hit by a 50 per cent decline in the 2019 LS elections, as by that time the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was introduced. "In 2024, we are yet to get an order from political parties. This election season, we are left with only 10 per cent of work orders that we got in 2014," he said, adding that everyone in the market was sitting idle.

Sources in the Sadar Bazar market said businessmen had received huge orders from all political parties during the 16th LS elections, "as there was cutthroat competition between UPA and NDA". "The BJP had been banking heavily on its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi while the Congress-led UPA wanted to retain power. The competition was tough because the Opposition was strong and the situation was different. All the political parties spent huge money in the election campaign," a source said, adding that things are different this political season because the Opposition parties are too weak to get a chance to defeat the ruling party.

Traders have to maintain a stock of samples before orders come in

Garg Enterprises - one of the biggest players in making election paraphernalia - would always have a stall in every state capital ahead of LS elections. But in this season, they feel political parties are showing no interest in placing any order as such. Talking about the reason for the sharp decline in their business, Patel asserted that business had been significantly impacted by the rise of digital campaigning, resulting in a substantial decrease in demand for such products by political parties. "Lekin fir bhi umeed me bathe hain [but we are still hopeful]," he added.

Another reason for the dip in orders is that political parties are directly contacting manufacturers for merchandise. The scarves, party flags, caps, etc are made of cotton or silk, made at factories in Mathura or Surat. "Initially we would contact Mathura or Surat to make these items after receiving orders from political parties. But, now, the party offices are directly contacting factories in Mathura and Surat to make them, to cut costs. So, middlemen like us are at the losing end. This is also one of the reasons why we have no business today," said a Sadar Bazar-based businessman.

Brijesh Yadav, a young businessman, is hopeful that political parties would need poll merchandise despite their social media campaigns

According to Patel, Maharashtra-based political parties would earlier place orders for merchandise at Sadar Bazar but now prefer contacting businessmen in Mumbai's Lalbaug market. "Orders have now shrunk to almost zero as parties opt for digital advertising over traditional campaigning these days," Patel said. A few years ago, the businessmen in Sadar Bazar would get bulk orders from across India. "We would get orders from all the states but now the scenario is completely different. Small local traders have been approaching political parties to supply poll merchandise to them, so our business will naturally be affected," Patel said.

Apart from other reasons he mentioned, Patel cited the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the latest reason for political parties not beginning any political campaign in the national capital. The competition in Delhi is between the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and BJP. "Delhi has yet to witness the election fervour as polling is scheduled for May 25. Political parties are still mobilising their election campaign. Also, AAP workers are busy rescuing their jailed leaders. The competition in political campaigns will result in a little rise in our orders," said another businessman. "If the parties' bank accounts are seized or kept under scanner, they will not spend on election merchandise," he added.

Another businessman in a neighbouring shop said, "Many political parties are yet to announce their candidates. It is also a reason behind the slowdown in our business." Currently, shops are filled with samples of poll paraphernalia of all political parties. "We have to keep the samples and a few sets readily available for all political parties. If these are not sold, we will incur additional loss," he said.

Meanwhile, a young businessman Brijesh Yadav is hopeful that even at a time of social media campaigns, political parties would need poll merchandise. "Politicians campaigning for their parties will surely need scarves, caps, wristbands, etc, to don before making a video for their social media accounts. We are hopeful the market will gain momentum once all the political parties announce their candidates," he said.