Election fever soaks Holi in political hues

With the biggest festival of Indian democracy round the corner, this year's Holi - the festival of colours - is splashed with various political hues.
With only a few days left for Holi, water sprinklers (pichkari) having pictures of popular political faces like BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi are selling like hot cakes.
This time, political leaders are riding high on election fever, edging out usual crowd pullers like film stars and cricketers.
"There are a variety of spray guns and water sprinklers carrying pictures of political leaders, film stars, cricketers and other famous personalities, but those having pictures of politicians are in great demand," Gulshan Bhatia, a Holi product retailer in Rajapark, told PTI.

Magan Lal Agrawal, a wholesaler of such products, said approximately 40,000 sprinklers with pictures of political leaders have been ordered by retailers across the city.
Several new Holi products are also attracting revellers.

"There are a lot of choices of new products ranging from 'pichkari' fitted with seven colours to colour crackers and popper," Bhatia said.
Fancy items like funny masks, horns are the choice of kids, he added.
"Since there is scarcity of water here, people have started celebrating dry Holi and without use of chemical based colours. Demand for herbal colours which do not harm skin is also there and people are avoiding use of synthetic colours," Omprakash Yadav, a wholesaler of colours, said.