– Rajesh Mishra
Lucknow : The COVID restrictions have put an end to the assembly elections being held in Uttar Pradesh. From posters, banners, election materials to taxis, tents during the elections, many businesses have been affected by Corona in this election. Business has been affected a lot due to many provisions like ban on not carrying crowd in campaigning, ban on rallies, gatherings. During the elections, there is silence on the shops selling the promotional material, while the crowds and orders seen in the printing presses are absent.
In the capital of Uttar Pradesh, shops selling promotional materials are adorned outside the offices of Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, Samajwadi and Bahujan Samaj Party, but business is happening very less. There is some movement at shops outside BJP and SP offices but orders are being given less than before. Ramji Lal of KK Printers, who decorates shops outside most party offices in the capital, says that this time the business is not even half as much as before. He says that Corona’s restrictions on campaigning dominate and the Election Commission’s strictness is also more. In the last elections, where party-wise orders of more than Rs 50-60 crore were received, this time even one third of the business is not expected to be done. Though fancy items like caps, bindis, t-shirts have come from Delhi for this election, but the sales are getting very less.
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Elections in the first and second phase are on the rise in the state but till now corona restrictions are in force.
Alok Saxena of Alok Printers, the capital’s leading printing business, says that anticipating the easing of Corona restrictions, paper etc. had been ordered in advance, but the Election Commission has not given any facility so far. He says that flex banners, hoardings and posters are also being made less and less due to the strictness of the commission. Although the use of posters, cards and handbills in Lok Sabha and assembly elections has decreased due to the strictness of the Commission from the past several elections, but this time it has reduced even more. Saxena says that the elections for the first and second phase are on the rise in the state, but till now the corona restrictions are in force. He says that even if there is some relaxation in restrictions in the first week of February, there is little hope of the market lifting.
This time new vehicles are sold indiscriminately from the show rooms.
Dharmendra Singh, who works for Travels in Lucknow, says that there is a ban on carrying convoys of vehicles and rallies or large gatherings cannot be held. Due to all this the demand for taxis is negligible. They say that if the candidates are running their work by private vehicles, then from where will there be demand for taxis. Yes, he says that this time new vehicles have been sold indiscriminately from the show rooms and SUVs have been the most in demand. In most of the major cities of the state, booking started in the showrooms from months back and now the vehicle is not available on demand anywhere.
Despite Corona restrictions, there is no effect on the sale of pots
In this election, BJP’s saffron, SP’s red-green and Congress’s tricolor pot have seen a strong increase. Sanjeev Mishra, who sells campaign material, says that the demand for pot had started six months before the election, in which there is no decline yet. Along with Tanda, which is called the stronghold of powerloom in the state, along with cities like Meerut, Mauranipur, a large number of pots are being supplied from Gujarat. Along with the use of workers, good purchase of pots is also being done for distribution. Mishra says that despite the Corona restrictions, there is no effect on the sale of pots.
Emphasis on digital promotion due to Corona restrictions
Due to Corona restrictions in Uttar Pradesh, there is a strong emphasis on digital promotion. In every small and big city, the work of preparing digital promotional material has started. So far, more than half of the declared candidates in the state are demanding the most for short videos and posters to be forwarded on VyasUp. Ashish Awasthi, who prepares the campaign mat, says that the candidates of major political parties have hired experts on their own and are preparing and issuing new maters every day.