Demonetisation has shattered the trust of the city that sells glass bangles to the world but local loyalties appear less fragile than the broken pieces scattered on the streets here.

Hanuman Prasad Garg, director of the Glass Industries Syndicate, is livid as he opens up two days before the first round of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections kicks off the ground from here. Firozabad has five Assembly seats.

"Policymakers don't understand the dynamics of small enterprises; the disconnect is frightening. Notebandi (demonetisation) was poison served to us, the glass industry suffered A to Z, it had ruinous effects," Garg told The Telegraph.

"Within five days of demonetisation, over 60 per cent factories making bangles suspended operations. A factory employs around 200 workers but lakhs are connected in the long chain. One factory's output will require at least 600 people for joining the bangles, another 1,400 for decorating them. The decorators engage at least four lakh workers in Firozabad and neighbouring areas."

Pointing out that the remaining factories operated at less than half their capacity, Garg said: "One unit normally requires Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 cash for daily distribution. The cash limit was Rs 10,000 till the curbs were eased. We are recovering slowly but we don't know about the plight of thousands of workers who left during the peak crisis."

Unwilling to attack the Prime Minister directly, Garg sweetened his assessment: "Modiji's intentions might have been noble but the purpose of unearthing black money got defeated and people faced only pain, no gain."

Pradeep Gupta, who runs the city's biggest glass factory that makes bottles and flasks, might not have suffered heavy losses because of his export-oriented business but he is no less bitter. "I was shocked that millions of people merrily queued up in lines for hours every day for over two months to withdraw paltry sums," Gupta said.

He added: "This notebandi was done solely to capture Uttar Pradesh, not for any other motive. What is worrying is that the government's priorities are wrong. Address the primary concerns of the people. What is this Pak-Pak, Muslim-Muslim... run your own country, help the poor. Din bhar upadrav (ruckus whole day). Damru baja kar bheed jama karlo, phir khel kaisa bhi ho (draw the crowd by beating drums, no matter the show is good or bad)."

However, asked if the business community will desert the BJP, he said: "Vote is fixed on traditional lines; issues can't override caste and party loyalty. The poor vote for only one issue - the police inspector should not be from the oppressive caste. But yes, those who were swayed by false development propaganda will rediscover the truth."

Another glass trader, Vinod Bansal, echoed a similar sentiment: "Demonetisation was a political tactic, not driven by economic rationale. The poor were hit the hardest. We will still vote for the BJP because the local candidate is very good, not because we still are under the sway of the Modi magic. We expect the BJP to focus on good governance instead of creating disruptions. Everybody is patriotic, there is no need to create an artificial divide."

At least a dozen more businessmen in a constituency won by the BJP in the last Assembly elections expressed deep disappointment with the Narendra Modi government but refused to comment on record for "fear of reprisal".

One of them said: "Not only Bania, all castes survive on glass in this city. Everybody is angry. We will not vote for SP or BSP candidates as they are (from another religion). But we are angry with the BJP; only three persons matter now - Modi, his commander Amit Shah and his kathputli (puppet) Arun Jaitley."

Some support for notebandi came from the workers. Shani Verma, polishing a decorative piece in a glass factory, said: "It didn't hurt the honest. We too wasted hours and days standing in line but some sacrifice is required for a bigger cause like fighting black money."

Scratch a little and the political loyalty shows: "We are Mallahs (caste of boatmen) and we support the BJP come what may."

Another worker, Satish Kumar, said: "We love to hear Modi, issues don't matter. If we gave 60 years to the Congress, why be so impatient now? No PM, no CM fulfils any promise. Some development happens all the time. Farmers are in distress but not for the first time. Give Modi 10 years. He has improved India's image in the world and now his focus has turned to domestic affairs."

Outside the same factory, cart-pullers who bank on transporting raw bangles to decorators didn't have that much patience.

They are happy the work has resumed but narrated how hundreds returned to villages as earnings dried up post-November 8 and their families begged for food. They don't understand why the Prime Minister is repeatedly saying all those who opposed demonetisation are corrupt and supporters of black money.