Kathmandu. Traffic management and presence of security personnel have been increased in the market areas as the elections to the House of Representatives are approaching. This has made it easier for the general public to commute. The election fever has heated up the cities and rural areas of Dang.

The market has been bustling, the number of vehicles has increased and some businesses have seen temporary recovery. However, the broader economic mobility is yet to be seen as expected by businessmen. Now, as the date of the election is approaching, everyone’s interest is focused on how the market will move.

As the election date draws closer, political activities have intensified from urban to rural settlements of the district. The candidates for the March 21 election have become active in the voters’ meeting. Door-to-door programs, neighborhood meetings, corner meetings and interaction programs are being held almost daily.

In recent days, candidates and their supporters have been reaching villages and localities. The use of vehicles for election campaigning has increased while the movement of motorbikes and vehicles has increased the crowd in the market areas. The main roads and squares are decorated with flags, banners and posters.

According to entrepreneurs, the number of customers has increased in the local hotels, eateries and restaurants with the increasing movement of people. Especially, the number of election teams going to hotels for breakfast, lunch and evening snacks has increased. As a result, the demand for daily consumables such as vegetables, meat, milk, yogurt and eggs has also increased.

Hotel entrepreneurs in Ghorahi and Tulsipur among other markets said business has improved in the past few weeks. “Now the election team comes almost every day. Sales have increased a bit as we have been eating food for the elections,” said a hotelier. But they say the increase is not permanent but limited to electoral activity.

Similarly, the business of printing and digital printing shops producing publicity materials has also increased. The demand for printing pamphlets, pamphlets, banners, flex and stickers has increased. Some shops said they had to work overtime. “A candidate has to prepare a lot of material in a short period of time. That’s why there is a lot of work now,” said a printing entrepreneur. However, traders say that the crowd and hustle and bustle in the market is not relatively satisfactory economically.

Senior vice-president of the District Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Naresh Kumar Shrestha, said that although it was expected that the market would be dynamic during the election, the real situation was not so. “Trade and business should have increased during the election period, but it has not been clearly seen so far,” he said, adding, “The crowd has increased, but the economic activities have not expanded as per that.” ’

According to him, like in the past elections, the businessmen had hoped that the business would increase this time as well. However, he said that the market has not been able to move as expected due to rising inflation, weak purchasing power of consumers and lack of financial liquidity. “People are conscious of spending. The election atmosphere alone will not bring long-term economic recovery,” he said. He said that the market was crowded only because of the election.

Vikas Agrawal, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said that the election has increased the business to some extent. However, he said that the growth has not been as per the expectations of the businessmen. “The market has not been able to move as per the expectations of the businessmen,” he said. He said that the business of vehicles, hotels, restaurants, tea houses and coffee houses has increased. Agrawal said that there has been some increase in the areas connected with this.