Kartikeya and Company have been touring various Indian states, selling campaign material for years. Based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, the shop has one stall each outside the state Congress and BJP offices in Bhopal.
The most expensive items in the Congress shop are party flags; the cheapest, small paper badges with Sonia Gandhi and the raised palm -- the party's symbol -- on them.
"Candidates take these paper badges and throw them into the crowd. The showering of badges appeals to kids," says the shop attendant.
The shop stocks caps, watches, models of the electronic voting machine, posters. Candidates buy most of the products. Ordinary folk show little or no interest in what is sold here.