Namakkal: First the bird flu, then recession. Poultry farmers in the country`s egg hub Namakkal have been literally walking on egg shells. But now with election campaigning on in Tamil Nadu, there`s a spin off. Egg biryani has emerged as the most popular and economical election dish.
And the egg-onomics of this staple election season dish has put a smile on the faces of poultry farmers! They are now happy that the price of an egg has soared to more than two rupees.
Says poultry farmer Syed Hassan: "Before elections, we were selling eggs at one rupee eighty paise. Now it's between two rupees twenty five and two rupees fifty paise."
It suits even political parties that supply biryani to their cadre.
Says Venkatachalam, PMK's campaign manager: "Giving egg biriyani to our party workers is cheaper than mutton and chicken."
But supplying biryani to voters will amount to a poll code violation.
For the 1000 odd poultry farmers in Namakkal, who`ve been hit hard by the bird flu and the recession, elections mean business!