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In Pictures: India election pop-up shops

Temporary shops selling election paraphernalia can be found everywhere dotting the streets of New Delhi.

A supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) seen sporting the party(***)s trademark cap, popularly known as the Gandhi Topi (cap). These caps with "Main Hoon Aam Aadmi (I am a common man) written on are the hottest selling items this election season and are priced at $0.034 (Rs 2).

By Showkat Shafi

Published On 3 Apr 2014

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As India gears up for the most awaited event of the year, its parliamentary elections, traders across the country are stocking up on campaigning materials used by political parties and even rolling out memorabilia carrying political symbols.

About 814 million people are expected to vote in nine phases from April 7 to May 12, in what is being termed as the longest elections in the country’s history.

Pop-up shops selling election paraphernalia can be found everywhere dotting the streets of New Delhi.

From trendy Gandhi topis (caps) to stoles, key chains, placards, masks and t-shirts bearing the faces of candidates are all for sale. Even people are available for hire as bodies in a crowd for political rallies.

Once the elections are over, then, just like that, they wind up business and cash in from the festival-like atmosphere.

People are being paid to campaign for various candidates. Disabled people seen campaigning in Old Delhi on their tricycles for a candidate of the ruling Congress party. Some of these disabled campaigners are earning about $4 (Rs 370) per day.
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A shopkeeper shows the placard of the BJP(***)s (Bharatiya Janata Party) prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
Accessories with political symbols and leaders of political parties printed on them are a big hit. Stoles, caps and badges of different parties displayed outside a shop in Delhi.
Sant Ram, 47 works as sales man in one of the seasonal shops that has come up for the election. He sits inside his shop filled with various props used for campaigning.
A shopkeeper shows badges of the two major political parties, the Indian National Congress party and BJP.
A man wears a Gandhi topi (cap) in a shop selling campaigning material.
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Dayal Bhai, 61, a trader, says that availability of campaigning material online has affected the business of small traders and this is the last elections that he is selling campaigning material.
A supporter of Narendra Modi wears a NaMo mask outside a shop in Old Delhi.
Autorickshaws have also been employed for campaigning. But Suresh, 37, an autodriver and a supporter of the AAP, says he doesn(***)t charge any money for the campaigning.
Badges and key rings of different political parties of India on display at a Delhi shop.
A balloon with Congress written on it is displayed outside a shop in Delhi.
Flags and banners of different political parties on the display as the election fever grips the South Asian country.