Election fever grips Delhi, but not in Sadar Bazaar market

NEW DELHI: Shops in Sadar Bazar market are glutted with scarves, flags, caps, batches but sales have dropped drastically over the years. Chaman, a trader of election publicity material, said, "Nowadays it is hard to find buyers for election campaign materials."

Sadar Bazaar, the biggest hub of election publicity material, wore a deserted look, with shopkeepers sitting idle in their shops. Even after the announcement of the election date, the business has not picked up yet. "In the last few elections, I have seen a massive decline in the business of election publicity material. Only 10-12 people came to my shop to buy these materials after the announcement of Delhi Assembly polls date," said Chaman, owner of Aaroma Enterprises in Sadar Bazar.

Sanjay Khaturia, another trader in the market, hopes that after a few days, sale of publicity material will increase. "Few people have come to buy materials. Most of them are preferring scarfs, batches, t-shirts. The business is slow but I am hoping that after few days onwards situation will improve," Khaturia said.

According to traders, the use of social media campaigns for the election has added more to their woes and destroying their decades-old business. Sanjay Jain, another Sadar Bazaar trader said that he has every kind of election publicity materials, from scarves to flags, but business is not running well this time. "This time I have not been able to sell 1/4th of these goods," he said.

While sharing the experiences of the past elections, another trader said there was a time when party supporters and workers throng to their shop to buy election materials after the announcement of polls. "We hardly got time to have food.

Staff were too busy with buyers. Things have changed after parties started giving focus to social media. Even after two weeks of Delhi polls date announcement, there are no takers for goods. My business has gone down," the trader said.

Lakshya Nagpal was standing amid heaps of election materials. He was waiting for customers in his shop. "I can only say that there is no work right now. Over the last few weeks I haven't got customers for publicity material," Nagpal said with a disappointment in his face. Assembly elections will be held on February 8 in Delhi which will witness a triangular contest among the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress. The results will be declared on February 11.