Street vendors at Janpath Market, Connaught Place, and adjoining commercial areas of New Delhi on Wednesday, 14 October reported severe financial losses stemming from protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Road closures and market shutdowns on 10 and 11 October gutted customer footfall during one of the most commercially vital stretches of the festive calendar.

Vendors Describe Heavy Losses During Garba Season

A vendor at Janpath Market, Radha Sundar, said her business had been running at a loss after stock procured specifically for the Garba season sat unsold. “We brought products for the Garba season, but due to the protests, we are facing heavy losses. They should protest during the summer — during May and June. This season is for work; they should understand this,” she said.

Sundar added that she was being forced to sell goods below cost, because festive items not moved in season typically cannot be sold at all for the rest of the year. “They have a lot of money in the banks; that is why they have the privilege to get on the streets. It’s the less privileged who are suffering,” she said.

Sundar noted that disruptions linked to multiple protests had recurred three or four times within the month, with Saturday and Sunday — the most critical trading days for small vendors — wiped out on both occasions.

Connaught Place and Pallika Bazaar Also Hit

Another vendor at the market said the protests had effectively paralysed Connaught Place. “The entire business has been halted. I have a glasses shop and a garments shop. All were closed due to the protests,” he said, adding that proximity to protest sites such as Jantar Mantar made the disruption routine.

Vendor Vinod Sharma said the impact extended beyond individual shops. “Janpath Market, Pallika Bazaar, and Connaught Place were all affected. Protesters can exercise their political right, but it should not hamper the general public,” he said. Sharma acknowledged the constitutional legitimacy of protest while arguing that the current approach “harms the masses, rather than benefiting them.”

One vendor reported that customer footfall had fallen by 90%, a figure that, if sustained through the festive window, could translate into unrecoverable seasonal losses for micro-enterprises operating on thin margins.

Voices From the Ground: Livelihoods Over Politics

Shopkeeper Saqir Abbas said his outlet had reopened after a three-day closure, yet sold only two items. “What should we sell, and how do we feed the children?” he asked. Abbas said the opposition’s agenda was not his concern — his livelihood was. He argued that the decision to shift the protest venue should have been taken earlier.

Another vendor echoed that frustration: “Those who are creating havoc are not arrested, but the common people are getting harassed.”

Jantar Mantar De-notified; Three New Protest Sites Assigned

On 12 October, the Delhi administration de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Three alternative venues — Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in East Delhi — were allotted in its place. The move came directly in response to escalating protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Several vendors welcomed the relocation. “Changing the protest site was the right decision because this is a market area and it is expected to be crowded,” one said. The shift, however, comes after the primary festive shopping days had already been disrupted, leaving losses that vendors say cannot be recovered this season.

With the festive period continuing through Diwali, the coming days will test whether the venue change is sufficient to restore footfall — and financial survival — for the thousands of small traders who depend on this window for the bulk of their annual income.