Modest gamchha the hot property this poll season

Political parties, including BJP, Congress, and AAP, place bulk orders for gamchhas and caps for leaders and workers during election campaigns.

Come election season, and the demand for the humble gamchha — a traditional coarse cotton cloth worn around the neck in the eastern states of the country — soars, as political parties place bulk orders for their leaders and workers to wear during campaigns and rallies. After the notification of Lok Sabha elections in March this year, the BJP placed an order of at least 300,000 gamchhas and 400,000 topis (caps) with the party name and symbol imprinted on them, with weavers in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, said an office-bearer at the BJP headquarters.

In Delhi, traders in Gandhi Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar have received orders. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)