Campaign material shops gear up for Chandigarh civic body polls

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 30

Not only political parties but also local businessmen are gearing up for the coming Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections. With the announcement of elections, scheduled for December 24, shops offering campaign material have become active.

One such shop at the Attawa market in Sector 42 is catching the eyes of many as it offers all types of “Election Campaign Material”. Not a regular stop for politicians, it becomes active only during the time of elections (Lok Sabha/ Municipal Corporation). A big hoarding on the roadside attracts commuters.

“Our products range from flags to banners, caps to modified tags, party promotional clothing and cut-outs, and many other things. In the previous elections, most candidates had purchased products from us,” said Sonu, owner of the shop. When asked about the response this year, the owner said the business was yet to pick up. “The business will pick up pace once all parties finalised their respective candidates. Campaigning in Chandigarh is yet to reach full swing,” added Sonu. When asked about hot selling products, he added: “We have a variety of products and added more to the stock this year.”

Similar shops have come up at Sector 26 and at other areas of Chandigarh. “Earlier, we had to bring the campaign material from New Delhi. While campaigning, we need a number of attractive things. Traditional products such as caps, badges and stickers are always needed for workers. With the passage of time, many products have been added to the list of materials and it’s completely up to a candidate how much he/she wanted to spend on campaign material,” said a seasoned politician.