How are hoodies, stoles, and sunglasses shaping campaigns ahead of Delhi assembly polls?

As Delhi approaches its election season, political workers are increasingly donning merchandise that flaunts their party affiliations, with an array of creative items aimed at captivating voters' attention.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and several smaller players are all competing fiercely, with sharper, wittier, and more personal messaging across their merchandise. A variety of winter-friendly hoodies, colourful stoles, funky sunglasses, keychains, and custom-made car flags are all part of the campaign arsenal.

Delhi is scheduled to vote on February 5, with the results to be announced on February 8.

AAP's Customised Merchandise

The AAP's signature blue and yellow hoodies and stoles, emblazoned with the face of party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, are proving to be a hit. “These feature the face of the party's national convenor on the front and the party logo on the back, instantly making them stand out,” said Vikram, a key supplier of political merchandise from Sadar Bazar. AAP has also ordered keychains, wristbands, badges, and car flags, with quantities running into the thousands. “We have prepared bundles of 2,000 to 2,500 large flags and 5,000 smaller ones to meet rally demands,” Vikram added, noting the prices range from Rs 2.5 to Rs 165 per flag depending on size and material.

BJP Adds Quirk to Their Campaign

The BJP has also infused creativity into its campaign, introducing funky orange sunglasses with the party's name written in white. “The party has also ordered T-shirts featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image, with an option for people to customise them with their own pictures,” Vikram shared.

Congress Focuses on Utility

Meanwhile, Congress has opted for more practical items such as mousepads, pens, and keychains featuring the party symbol. This shift towards utility-based merchandise reflects the party's strategy of engaging supporters in a more functional way.

Surge in Demand for Political Merchandise

Political merchandise suppliers have reported a 60 percent increase in demand over the past few weeks, with Anil Seth, a supplier from Sadar Bazar, noting that election season is their busiest period. “The creativity and variety in campaign items this year have been exceptional,” Seth said. Items like scarfs, garlands, flags, t-shirts, caps, posters, banners, and leader cut-outs are particularly in demand for rallies.