Saffron surge in UP: People queue up for Yogi kurta, Modi jacket

Lucknow: A tiny row of shops selling readymade kurta-pyjamas and Nehru jackets in Darulshafa, a residential complex for legislators and politicians, is buzzing with activity.

“Price ki baat nahin hai — rang gerua (saffron) hi chahiye,” says the aide of a newly elected BJP MLA.

Rakesh Kumar, owner of one of the shops, snaps back: “Ek din mein sab kaise gerua kar dein. Thoda time to lagega.”

Mr Kumar, and other shopkeepers in Darulshafa obviously did not anticipate the BJP would come to power with such an overwhelming majority, and that Yogi Adityanath, a symbol of saffron power, would be the chief minister and gerua would be the colour of the season.

The recent Assembly session showed how dominant the colour is with majority of the 325 MLAs of the ruling alliance turning up in shades of saffron.

In the new power set up, there is a mad rush for everything that is saffron — kurta, jackets, ‘gamchas’ and even mobile phone covers. Politicians are now demanding half-sleeved kurtas — the style worn by Mr Adityanath — earlier made popular by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For shopkeepers, it is an opportunity to boost sales. Most of them are busy getting their stock dyed in ‘gerua’, besides ordering fresh supply focussing on saffron colour clothes. Tailors in these shops are working overtime to stock up kurtas of all sizes. These shops in Darulshafa are selling readymade attire for politicians for the past several decades. Some former chief ministers are known to have bought clothes off the shelves from here. But until now, the dominant colours were white for kurta-pyjamas and dhotis and brown and black for jackets.

“Once Kamlapati Tripathi’s baggage got left behind in the train and he bought kurta and dhoti from my father because he had to go to the Vidhan Sabha,” recalls Ashok, a shopkeeper here.

“This is not an assertion of our ideology but a style statement. There were days when saffron was associated only with saints but today it symbolises political power and we are proud to be a part of the revolution,” says a first-time legislator.