Thanks to the general elections and the hectic activity associated with electioneering, business is booming for biryani joints in the city with lot of cash floating around and political workers stepping in to have a wholesome meal to keep them going.
Demand for chicken and mutton biryani has almost doubled in the last few days in the run up to polling. Party workers, sympathisers and even contestants have been dropping at hotels after a hectic day of campaign.
A few candidates also awarded contracts to hotels to supply up to 500 packets of biryani every day.
“Usually biryanis are not preferred during summer, but because of elections the demand is high,” a hotel owner at Charminar explained. Two hotels situated at Charminar supplied around 10,000 plates of biryani for two different contestants in the last 10 days.
A few hotels have also bagged contracts for providing the delicious fare on polling day for party workers as the political parties are expected to arrange food for them.
“The biryani is prepared at some house by hotel owners in view of the closure of hotels and then supplied to the local leaders. Later, they distribute it among the party workers manning polling booths and camps,” Zahed Qureshi, a local leader informed.
In few instances political parties also arrange lunch for the polling staff also. “As shops and eateries are closed on the polling day, many political parties place orders and supply the food to poll officials too.
Orders for vegetarian food is also placed but on a smaller scale,” a hotel owner said on condition of anonymity.
