Netas take to khadi this poll season

DEHRADUN: Keeping abreast with changing fashion, politicians too are using more than just the traditional plain white khadi, and turning to coloured and more fashionable khadi kurta-pyjamas. Netas are donning jackets of dark hues, pant-like pyjamas in cotton, silk and linen, and giving khadi and other cloth outlets a boost in sales.

The managers of khadi ashram centres and showroom owners in the state capital are confident of business going up further in April, after seeing a spurt in March. Polling in the Himalayan state is scheduled for May 7.

"The sale of khadi in the two main centres at Paltan Bazaar and Gandhi Road, and about seven other sub-centres in the city, was somewhere close to Rs 45 lakh in March," Shri Gandhi Ashram Khadi Bandaar, Paltan Bazaar manager Parmanand Yadav told TOI. "Several leaders visit our centre to buy khadi products, but this time they are more selective ," he said.Manager of the khadi ashram at Gandhi Road, Awadh Narain Rai, said, "Whenever there is a poll, the sale of khadi products goes up automatically. It is no different this time."

He pointed out that fine silk products are also in demand in the poll season. Rai said that readymade kurtas available at the centre were in the range of Rs 1,300 to Rs 2,500, depending on quality. "The starting range of jackets is Rs 500, and it goes up to Rs 2,000. Politicians are purchasing the products, and its best suited to the weather we expect in April," he said.

A showroom owner in Paltan Bazaar said, "As politicians have limited time, they prefer readymade items. We prefer showing them finished products rather than selling them cloth."