Election accessories in big demand at shops

Thiruvananthapuram: With election campaigns all set to kick off, demand is on the rise for accessories including t-shirts boasting off the photos of their favourite leaders.

A wide range of accessories including caps, t-shirts with pictures of leaders of political parties, key chains and flags - the list goes on to woo the campaigners.

According to shopkeepers, the customisation of products is the new trend.

“Earlier the choices were limited. Now options are aplenty, and the political parties can come up with their demands to customise the products. With summer at its peak, demand for caps is likely to go up,” says Sulaiman, a shopkeeper.  The price of the t-shirt ranges from `200 to `400 depending on the quality of the cloths.

“T-shirts can be customised using photos of leaders, and almost all products are of eco-friendly materials. We buy them mostly from Tirupur, and for quality products, we procure materials from Surat,” says Mr Sulaiman, who is in the business for the past seven years.

However, according to him, Lok Sabha Elections is not the best time for their business.

“Most of the poll accessories are supplied centrally for all states across the nation by respective political parties limiting the possibility of local business. But this time we expect to do better business with a variety of products,” Mr Sulaiman says.

Key chains with the faces of political leaders are another trending item.

“Local body elections are the best time to do business. However, we get orders round the year from political parties,” he adds.