Dressing Up 'Netajis': Tailor, Cloth Shops Near Patna's MLA Flats Get Busy As Elections Near
The tailors of the twin streets in Patna are more popular among the politicians than those of Savile Row, Jermyn Street and Madison Avenue.
By Dev Raj
Published : October 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM IST
|Updated : October 12, 2025 at 9:24 AM IST
Patna: The two streets adjacent to the MLA flats in Patna city are the Savile Row, Jermyn Street and Madison Avenue for politicians. The streets are known for their cloth and tailor shops, which the 'netajis' prefer over any fashion designer or fancy boutique.
It is election time and the constant whirring of sewing machines, snip-snip of scissors, the swish of the measuring tape, and that unique whiff of new cloth coming from the rows of kiosks, stalls and carts welcome everybody who ventures towards the twin offshoots from the Birchand Patel Path.
The place is a must for those who are in a hurry for a makeover, for presenting themselves to the top leaders of different parties, as suitable candidates to contest the Assembly polls; or those who want to quickly clothe their supporters in spotless white kurta-pyjamas to project themselves as ‘deserving politicians with a following’.
“We can stitch a kurta-pyjama set in two hours for just Rs 350 without compromising on fitting or quality. Where else will you get such fast, cheap and best service? If the need arises, we can provide 50 sets in two to three hours by roping in tailors working for other shops,” Mohammad Istekhar Alam aka Kuku of Jai Hind Khadi Bhandar told ETV Bharat.
The shops may not look crowded. But it is not what it seems, as many orders and measurements are received via messages and messaging apps. The cloth that is stitched is at times selected by customers via video calls, or physically if they choose to pay a visit.
However, Alam, who has been running a shop for over two decades, rues about fewer customers this time, not because of any erosion in the market, but because the Election Commission (EC) is conducting the polls in just two phases within a short span of time.
“Previously, the elections were held in many phases, giving ample time to contestants, their followers and other leaders to get new kurta-pyjamas stitched. Even the ticket aspirants used to camp for a month or more, and utilised their time to pay a visit to our shops. This time the Assembly polls are being conducted in a hurried manner in fewer phases, leaving little time on the hands of politicians to get new clothes,” Alam added.
Three-time former MLA from Chainpur (Kaimur district) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Braj Kishor Bind was seen shopping for himself and his supporters from a push-cart at one of the two streets. We caught up with him soon after he had selected cloth for half a dozen sets of the ubiquitous attire of politicians.
“I have been coming here to get my dresses for a long time now. It became a habit when I first became an MLA in the 2009 bypoll for Chainpur and shifted to one of the flats allotted to me here. I get kurta-pyjamas for myself and my supporters several times a year,” Bind told ETV Bharat.
Bind added that his party has assured him of a ticket to contest in the Assembly polls, so he made it a point to get new clothes stitched for the hectic election campaign that would start soon. His order would be delivered in two days, as he has demanded that the cloth pieces be washed before being stitched, so that the prepared dress does not shrink.
Similarly, Dinesh Paswan, a Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) leader, had come from Vaishali to buy new clothes, ignoring the attraction of the mushrooming shops at Hajipur, which serves as the district headquarters. “Coming to these shops is easier if we are visiting our party office or leaders here. Moreover, they provide good quality dress material at reasonable rates,” Dinesh added.
A unique aspect of these shops is that almost all of them are run by Muslims, but they cater to all sections of society and different political parties, irrespective of their ideologies.
“We do not believe in differences and discrimination. Moreover, this is our livelihood, so why would we think about it? We cater to leaders and supporters of all parties – Congress, RJD, BJP, Communist and others with equal respect,” said Mohammad Firdaus, owner of a cloth-cart.
However, Firdaus added that on some rare occasions the leaders and supporters of different parties do indulge in verbal duels if they arrive to order for clothes at the same time. The price of cloth – white or colourful – in these shops ranges from Rs 160 to Rs 1,800 per metre, though the shop-owners said that those in the Range of Rs 200 to Rs 300 per metre sell more than the costlier ones.
They added that the richer MLAs, ministers and politicians prefer visiting showrooms to buy costlier clothes rather than visiting the small kiosks and carts.
“White is still the preferred colour by politicians. Around 75 per cent of the clothes that we stitch are white. But other colours are also picking up over the last few years. Also, the common people prefer non-white colours for clothes,” said Mohammad Mister, owner of Mister Khadi Dukaan. The styles of 'netaji’s' attire have also changed over the years, and the shops have kept pace with the developments.
Decades ago, only two styles were popular among the politicians. One was the better-fitting Congress style, while the other was the ‘socialist’ style loose-fitting kurta-pyjamas. Then came the ‘Lalu style’ made popular by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad. It was something like an extra-large garment being worn by a normal person.
“The length of the kurtas popularised by Lalu ji would reach lower than the knees, the arms would be so long that they would have to be folded, and the entire kurta would be so loose that two people could fit into it. Nowadays, the style of half and full kurtas worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very popular. The normal style of good-fitting kurtas is also always popular,” said Mohammad Imran, a cloth cart owner.
The pyjamas have also shifted towards modernity, incorporating various facilities for those who wear them, especially in the era of wallets and mobile phones. “In the latest style of pyjamas, elastic bands have replaced the waist string, and two side pockets like pants have been included. This makes it easier to go to urinals, and also carry mobile phones and wallets,” said Mohammad Shakeel of Aman Khadi Bhandar.
However, there are people like Bhai Arun Yadav, an RJD ticket aspirant for Fatuha Assembly constituency in Patna district, who say no to the style changes. “Old is gold and manly. I will not wear pyjamas with elastic bands despite whatever comfort they may provide,” Yadav added.
The market that dresses the politicians is currently waiting for the announcement of seat-sharing and ticket distribution, after which the sale would perk up as the candidates and their supporters rush to get their clothes stitched.
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