Though print, electronic and social media are all pervasive, the mere presence of party insignia enthuses party workers and influences the average voter. Mindful of the the heightened vigil on election expenditure, the merchandise suppliers are treading warily.
T-shirts, saris, caps, head bands, key chains, badges and pens bearing the image of party symbol are not just doled out as sops, as their presence in the public domain can linger in the average voter’s mind for long. Thousands of workers get jobs once in five years. However, the enhanced surveillance shrunk the parties’ budget and also made them try stealthy means to reach the products. The parties often make good their escape, but the suppliers become scapegoats as they are directly exposed to the risk of seizure of unaccounted products and even arrest.
The poll-eve business runs on a wafer-thin margin of 5-8%. The small, medium and large-sized flags are sold for ₹4, ₹8 and ₹15 respectively. "We procure the cloth, cut it out, stitch the edges, do screen printing and finally deliver it to the respective party offices, all for this meagre amount," rues G.Venkateswarlu, a supplier.
Saris, which cost ₹200 apiece, be the yellow coloured ones supplied
to the TDP or blue-and-green bordered ones meant for YSRCP, are targeted at the ‘paid audience’ at public meetings and campaigns, who are mostly daily wage earners. "Nobody is bothered about quality, as the budget is fixed", he admits.
Livelihood concerns
"The election officials are justified in seizing cash or liquor, but by seizing merchandise, they are hitting at the livelihood of workers who are slogging out day and night," Nagula Jagadeeshwar, owner of Hyderabad-based Neelima Graphics, told The Hindu. A native of Warangal, his family has been into the printing business for over five decades. After making brisk business in the recent Telangana polls, he has now shifted focus to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.
Mr. Jagadeeshwar feels that the EC is randomly calculating the prices, instead of taking them into confidence. "We get key chains and badges from Delhi and sell them at a slim margin, but
are shocked to find the seized value very high", he noted.
As the small time suppliers struggle to make ends meet, corporate event managers rake in the moolah through ‘hard bargain’ with them and also by getting ‘cuts’ from party leaders.