Karnataka polls prove an occasion tailored to boost garments biz

March has been a good month for garment suppliers and traders in the city as they saw at least a 20% increase in business, thanks to the Assembly elections.

Many of the suppliers received bulk orders in February-March, as probable candidates and their supporters started preparations before the announcement of poll dates.

“There were bulk orders for T-shirts and headscarves, especially printed ones. While many of them wanted party logos, others ordered T-shirts with pictures of aspiring candidates and a slogan,” said one of the suppliers from South Bengaluru.

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There have also been bulk orders for the supply of caps to protect the campaigners from the scorching sun, one of the suppliers said.

Another supplier said there has been a demand for plain white T-shirts and those with pictures of gods and goddesses.

“Usually, in the run-up to the elections, many aspiring candidates arrange poojas and celebrate festivals with grandeur. For such occasions, there were orders for shirts with pictures of gods and goddess,” another supplier said.

The plain shirts help those who order them to escape scrutiny by the election authorities, the suppliers said.

“The candidates and their supporters order the plain shirts without stating the purpose. They divide the shirts among the supporters and get them printed at different places to ensure that the exact number of shirts printed is not recorded,” he said.

However, owing to strict vigilance, not many orders have been recorded post the announcement of poll dates.