Florists, confectioners, band parties expecting brisk business on results day

Ranchi: As the nation awaits the verdict of the Lok Sabha elections, business owners across the state capital are preparing for Thursday for a different reason. From florists to sweet shops, businesses are geared up for brisk sales on counting day.
“We usually receive orders for flowers for celebrations as soon as the trends start showing up for the seats. We have stocked up large batches of marigold sourced from West Bengal. Even rajnigandha is in high demand,” said Bimal Manik, a florist near Ratu Road Durga Mandir.
Vinod Bhagat, another florist opposite Ranchi University, has also all his ducks lined in a row for bulk orders. “We can create custom made garland in huge sizes. I have a team of six florists who can get such special orders prepared within two hours,” he said.
It is not just the political parties who place orders, but their supporters are also buying flowers and sweets. “Laddu happens to be the sweet dish of choice for any celebrations. Though large orders from political parties are yet to come in, smaller orders, albeit in bulk, are placed by party supporters or someone close to a particular candidate. The laddus are priced at Rs 440 per kg and we will be preparing fresh batches for the results,” said Kunwar Bhatia, owner of the Main Road-based Punjab Sweet House.
Fireworks sellers are also expecting sales to spike. “With the ongoing wedding season, we have a variety of items in stock. Generally, flower pots and chatai bombs are sold in high numbers on election result days. We also have several air-bound varieties of fireworks,” said Ganesh Kumar, a fireworks shop owner at Upper Bazaar.
Band party and DJ companies are looking ahead to cash in on the celebrations. “We have been in talks with BJP for a celebratory performance at their office after the results. Though the order will only be confirmed on Thursday afternoon, we have a team of around five dozen performers ready. They are divided into three groups of 20 performers each. Bollywood songs to pop hits — we can play any song on request,” said Anil Rai of Anand Band Party, adding that wedding season might affect the availability of band parties in the city on Thursday.