People of Ongole in Andhra Pradesh have been enjoying the freebies offered by the two main parties of Tamil Nadu — the DMK and the AIADMK — for long. From colour television sets given by the DMK government to wet grinders offered by Amma, the freebies are sold at dirt cheap prices by traders from Tamil Nadu.
The latest in the list is the table fan. The Amma fans, distributed as freebies by the AIADMK, have made their way in good numbers to roadside makeshift shops.
People take a piece or two of the electrical appliance to make a saving. “We knew her [Jayalalithaa] more as an actor — much before she rose in politics to become Tamil Nadu Chief Minister,” said an elderly woman, Nagalakshmi. An admirer of the yesteryear actor, she bought a table fan at a throwaway price of Rs. 700. Many like her buy the fans as mementos.
“No table fan is available for less than Rs. 2,000 in the market,” said another buyer, Shanthi. Prema, who bought a fan and juicer mixer for Rs. 1,250, added: “Even if they last for six months or so, they will be worth more than the money paid.”
The saleswoman, who gets a ‘replenishment’ every week from small-time traders who come with truck loads of such appliances from the neighbouring State said “We sell them in the same condition as we get them.”
