KANNUR: Umbrellas, which are a shield against the sun and rain, have become campaign materials in Kannur district where the mercury has touched an unprecedented 39.1 degrees celsius along with the rise in the election heat.
An entrepreneur, E.K. Jalalu from Thalassery, has risen to the occasion and is capitalising on the heat by selling umbrellas with party colours and symbols.
He has actually been selling election campaign materials like party flags, caps, banners, T-shirts, stickers etc for the last three decades, but this is for the first time that he is making election umbrellas.
The cost ranges from Rs 175 upwards. “I started making election campaign materials 28 years back when M.K. Muneer was conducting his youth march,” said Jalalu. “During the initial years, I sold the items by foot. But 12 years back, I started a shop in Thalassery,” he added.
At present, the shop has umbrellas with CPM, Muslim League and BJP colours and symbols. Jalalu is planning to bring out umbrellas of other parties, including the Congress, next week. The umbrellas are getting good response from the party workers. Jalalu’s workers make them at his Thalassery shop where the cloth is brought from Bangalore.
