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Countdown for Punjab poll results: Jumbo ‘jeet ka laddoo’ for those who taste sweet success
Party leaders and workers from different political parties in Punjab have made a beeline for the sweet shops and placed advanced orders for the traditional Indian sweet, which is distributed in large quantities among the supporters of the winning candidate
Ludhiana: With just a day to go for the Punjab election results, sweet shop owners across the state are receiving humongous orders for “laddoos” from various political parties in anticipation of their win in the assembly polls, with some even coming up with their own special creations for the winning candidates.
Party leaders and workers from different political parties have made a beeline for the sweet shops and placed advanced orders for the traditional Indian sweet, which is distributed in large quantities among the supporters of the winning candidate.
The sweet shop owners are working overtime to fulfil the demand as the D-day nears.
This time, a special “5kg Jeet Ka Laddoo” is prepared for the winning candidates. They can also savour different varieties of laddoos, including moti choor laddoo, bundi laddoo and desi ghee laddoo.
Narinderpal Singh Pappu, president of Halwai Association, Punjab, said though advance orders are received every time ahead of elections, this time there is a significant increase in the orders.
“We have witnessed a rise in the advance orders this year, as we already have advance orders of over 8 quintals, in comparison to around 6 quintals during 2017 assembly elections,” Pappu said.
He said that the occasion is not only a moment of celebration for the winning party but is profitable for the sweet shop owners also.
“Like the political parties who come out victorious, this is also a celebration for the sweet shop owners and most of my staff is deployed for preparations of laddoos only,” he said, adding that they return the advance payment received if a candidate loses in the polls.
Even though the rising cost of raw materials, including refined oil and dry fruits, has increased the price of the sweet by around Rs10 per kg, the sweet shop owners are expecting a good business this year after the losses they have suffered due to the pandemic.
“The refined oil which was available for around ₹1,200 per tin (15 kg) last year is now available at around ₹2,700. The input cost has increased so we were forced to increase the rates. It is expected that the hike in prices might take a hit, but the orders started coming in by Tuesday afternoon as the counting day is approaching,” Charanjit Singh, owner of Darshan Sweets in Field Ganj, said.
President of Ludhiana Halwai Association and owner of Lovely sweets in Jamalpur, Charanjit Singh said, “every established sweet shop owner in the city remains prepared to meet the demand of around 4-5 quintals of laddoos on the counting day. Mostly, the orders are placed after the counting of votes, as till that time the supporters also remain in a dilemma whether their candidate will win or not.”
Though the candidates and owners of sweet shops are tight-lipped on who placed the orders, sources say that AAP leaders have placed a large number of orders anticipating their victory.
One of the sweet shop owners, requesting anonymity, said that the supporters do not disclose their party and neither the shopkeepers name them in public, as it is never certain who will win.
But this time, AAP supporters have placed a good number of orders in comparison to last time, as they are confident of victory this year, especially after the exit poll predictions.
Supporters of other parties, including Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), Congress, SAD have also placed orders, but the BJP has shown less interest this time as majority of their candidates are not sure of victory, the sweet shop owner said.
