Thirty-seven-year Rama Timalsena runs Nikhil Stationery in Bagbazaar. But for the past three weeks, the stationery business has taken a backseat as the election fever takes hold. 

With demands for election materials outnumbering those for stationery items, Timalsena has put the vocational skills she to a good use. She is busy sewing flags on a tailor machine that is kept at the entrance to her stationery shop.

All the four walls of the shop may be filled with books, but the floor is covered with flags, T-shirts, caps and other paraphernalis of political parties. And her husband Sanjay is lending her a hand, taking orders from the clients. “We are overwhelmed by the demands. We already have much orders that would keep us busy for the next three weeks until June 14 elections,” said Timalsena.

Timalsena, who lives in Chobhar, says she has been sewing for upto 18 hours a day for the past few weeks. “We don’t go home for meals. We order the food and eat at the shop,” she said, peddling the sewing machine. To meet the tight deadlines, she has hired three other women, paying Rs900 a day. 

Besides catering to the clients in Kathmandu Valley, the couple is also supplying the publicity materials to Sindhupalchok, Dhading, Kavrepalanchok, Dang, Pyuthan, Tanahun, Gorkha among other districts. 

“We take orders from any party,” said Timalsena, who would hardly make Rs5,000 a day selling stationery items, has been working overtime these day. “And putting in extra hours doesn’t hurt when it pays off really well,” said Timalsena, with a smile, referring to Rs90,000 the couple is making a day. 

In fact, the whole of Bagbazaar area in the Capital has become a production hub for election publicity materials, with more than 200 outlets busy churning out flags, T-shirts, caps, batches and banners of various parties. For many shopowners in the area, this election season has brought them a windfall.

Three blocks away from the Timalsenas lies Shyam and Shyam Outdoor Advertising shop. 

Its proprietor Shyam, who requested to be identified with his first name, revealed that he had just landed an order worth Rs 7million for printing flags, T-shirts and badges from various political parties. 

“We have already shipped materials for the May 14 elections, and are making products for the next round of elections due on June 14,” said 80-year-old Shyam, who has been running the shop for five decades in the area. But he looks as energetic and excited doing business as it all began yesterday. 

About 90 percent of the orders comes from big parties, he explained, adding that his shop has been manufacturing and supplying publicity materials to the parties across the country.  Shyam, who hails from Varanasi of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, said his two sons are also in the same business. They employ eight people for making flags, T-shirts and other two for cutting cloth.

The cloth used to make flags, banners and T-shirt comes from China, Shyam said, adding that they bring in necessary materials from a wholesale shop at Thahiti in the Capital. Recalling the previous local level elections held two decades ago, Shyam said the publicity materials at the time were made out of cotton cloth and durable. 

“Now, the production is high and the shops that sell election materials are mushrooming. While the materials used today are not as durable, people here are making good money in this business,” he said.