The unexpected advancing of the election date for Tamil Nadu to April 13 and the continuing uncertainty of alliance formation means sales of election material will not get time to pick up steam. Stationery shops sell flags, festoons, caps, badges, cloth banners for the parties but with hardly a month’s time left for the poll day, many political parties have little time left to procure the material in bulk for canvassing votes.
S M Moorthy proprietor of MS Manian and Co on Malayaperumal Street says “Polling on short notice has derailed our hopes of minting a brisk business this poll time.?
Traditionally, the three main streets namely NSC Bose Road, Malayaperumal street and Bunder street are the major places where party cadres and functionaries shop for poll-related nicknacks.
The Election Commission has made it a tight schedule by announcing the poll date on April 13 leaving little time for parties to decide on issues including alliance, seat-sharing and nomination of candidates. Balaji who runs Balaji Offset at Bunder Street says the stringent enforcement of model code of conduct means a hawk-eyed vigil by media and the EC machinery. “This is a volatile business, we have to take a gamble on neophyte parties that may or may not exist after the outcome of polls.”
The squeeze of time is too close for comfort for traders who had shelled out substantially in bulk buying of wares for the purpose of retail. ?Our business is between 19th and 26th March during when short-listed nominees of various political parties binge on flags, festoons. Symbols of smaller parties remain uncertain. How do we risk it out by dishing out flags and bric-a-brac based on the new formation symbols.? says Moorthy.
Akbar Ali of Blue Star cards said lukewarm business would hit the garage manufacturers wishing to cash in on poll-related commerce. “We source all the stock from household manufacturers at places like Erode and Sivakasi. It’s tough luck for them with election commission coming down heavily on violators of model code of conduct.?
