Market booms for hat hawkers ahead of polls

The demand for caps bearing symbols of leading political parties has picked up ahead of parliamentary elections, as politicians are distributing poll merchandise to supporters during campaigning.

With polls just round the corner, the cap industry in Amroha District of Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a boom.

Caps of leading political parties – red-coloured caps of regional Samajwadi Party (SP), blue caps of Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and white and saffron caps of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) respectively – with party's election symbol are being manufactured to cash in the popularity of leaders and parties.

There are some people who have been involved in this business for generations.

"We are into a family business that was started by our grandfather and now my father and we are taking it forward. We manufacture caps, right from cutting, sewing and printing to everything. Be it BSP, Congress or BJP, we make caps for all political parties. This work is going on for the last two months and we have to finish maximum by 10th of this month and later by 17th," said a businessman, Tamseel Beg.

With sales of political merchandise picking up momentum, the cap manufacturing is also providing some extra income to the people employed for the job and helping the manufacturers complete their target before the polling starts.

"As election is coming, we start our work from 10 in the morning and by five in the evening we sew around 600 caps," said a worker, Mamta Sharma.

The cap manufacturing units are receiving orders from workers of political parties as well as directly from contesting candidates.