Flags, badges and placards are pass̩. With the announcement of elections, Jharkhandis are fast switching to customized T shirts for expressing their political opinions and rendering support to their favourite political party Рa practice that not only gives them a bang for their buck but also manages to raise a few eyebrows in public.
Jharkhand is set to go to polls on November 30. And as the political scene heats up in the State, many ardent supporters of local leaders and parties are busy looking for innovative merchandises related to the elections. Cashing in on this demand are a few local companies that are offering a quick fix to the political quirks of urban Jharkhandis. Brand Image, a Ranchi-based company that offers customized T shirts for Rs.120 to Rs.130 each, has witnessed a spurt in the demand of T shirts related to the ensuing elections.
Sudhir Sharma, the owner of the company, said that he is expecting orders of at least 1 lakh T shirts during the assembly polls here.
By now, the company has already received orders of around 10,000 T shirts on political themes. “Customized T shirts are a great way of promoting a political party or a leader.
One can order these T shirts in bulk and give them as gifts. People will wear them and propagate your political views,” Sharma said. Text T shirts giving messages such as ‘Ab Ki Baar 65 Paar’ along with a picture of Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Jharkhand Maange Yuva Sarkar, Jharkhandi Sarkar with a picture of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Executive President Hemant Soren are among the most popular T shirts as of now.
Besides, people can order for T shirts with a message and picture of their choice, said Sharma. “Customers can choose to have pictures of their favourite local leader on their T shirt – an option they are unlikely to get on e-commerce sites,” he added.
Many local apparel shops in Upper Bazaar and Mahatma Gandhi Road in the State capital have also stocked up T shirts and Kurtas for the upcoming polls. However, there is no option for customization at these shops. “We mostly get T shirts from New Delhi or Kolkata. Some T shirts are also printed locally.
I think the demand will increase once the names of the candidates are announced,” said Gaurav Saraf, owner of an apparel store in Upper Bazaar. Jharkhand will have elections in five phases from November 30 to December 20.
The votes will be counted on December 23. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress party and other likeminded regional parties have joined hands this year to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here.