Wearing it on the sleeve

Political parties are lining up merchandise ahead of the Lok Sabha polls but demand is muted

- ANUSHKA BHARDWAJ

With the 18th Lok Sabha elections beginning in a few weeks, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their visibility. A plethora of merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, caps, mufflers, and badges - adorned with party logos and leaders' photos - are now available on various online and offline platforms.

The demand for such merchandise surges once all the candidates are announced, said a spokesperson for Fibre to Fashion, a Tamil Nadu based customised t-shirt selling firm. "The enquiries have, however, risen as the dates of the polls have been announced."

 "Merchandise plays a key role in creating buzz about a specific party," observed Nishant Patel, a seasoned political campaigner who has worked with multiple parties on-ground campaigns. But many new and smaller parties and individual candidates who cannot use merchandise on a grand scale also see success. Therefore, these products majorly act as a bonus technique, he further said.

Last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its official NaMo merchandise, exclusively available on the Narendra Modi app. The app offers a variety of products, including notebooks, fridge magnets, pens, and keychains, along with the option for buying combos of products. Rahul Sharma, co-convenor of the NaMo app, revealed that caps, tshirts, and keychains have been the top-selling products so far. "A t-shirt with the slogan "Main Hoon Modi Ka Parivaar" accounts for nearly 50 per cent of total tshirt sales."