Green abir flies off, unsold laddoos go for half price
Times of India | 6 June 2024
Kolkata: It was Go Green for Trinamool workers across the city on Wednesday, while BJP party offices in many pockets stayed low-key as the LS election results did not meet their expectations.
Trinamool party offices were abuzz with activity since early afternoon with celebratory rallies being planned. In contrast, BJP party offices in Burrabazar, Posta, Kankurgachi, Bangur, Lake Town, Salt Lake, Bhowanipore and Ballygunge remained shut.Traders, too, had different experiences depending on whom they were catering to. Those who had accepted “pre-orders” from BJP workers for sweets, saffron abir and lunch boxes said nobody turned up to take the delivery. But those supplying for Trinamool were busy dispatching biryani packets, sweets and green abir.
“We have a big rally planned from Moulali to APC Roy Road in the evening. Several small rallies from parts of Kolkata North will join. Senior politicians and the candidate are also expected to join,” said Biplab Mitra, president of Ward 45.
Trinamool’s central party office for Jorasanko on M G Road was decked up in green lights. Seating arrangements had been made for more than 250 people. Party workers distributed sweets to passers-by and smeared party colleagues with green abir. “I have sold over 1,000 500-gm packets of green abir since Tuesday morning. They wanted more but I ran out of stock,” said Naveen Rungta, who owns a shop on Canning Street.
But there were many shop owners who kept waiting for customers to pick up their orders. BJP workers from Kolkata North had ordered for laddoos, worth Rs 52,000, at Shyam Sweets in Burrabazar, but they never went back to pick them up. “They are regular customers. After the poor show, they called us up and said they did not need the sweets. We are now forced to sell the sweets at half the price,” said the owner.
Similar was the fate of shops selling abir and colours. At Ramprasad Deviprasad Colours at Burrabazar, the owners had picked up 50 sacks each of green and saffron abir. “The saffron abir sales had picked up a day before the result, and so, I stocked up on more. There were queries and assurances from BJP workers but after the results, saffron packets were not sold. The demand for green abir soared. So I replaced the saffron abir with green ones from the stockist,” said Samiran Pal, packing 20 sacks of green abir to be sent to Bolpur.