[sbanerjee]

Hello folks. I tried to search the forum but seems this topic is not discussed. I live in West Bengal, and unfortunately here cops are targeting private number plate vehicles, as in normal vehicle types driven by most of us, for election duty. With SUV craze of the Indian buyers, now a days many of us owns SUVs or MUVs with 5+ seats. And cars like Scorpio, Fortuner, Ertiga, Carens etc are a hot target. Here they are stopping you left right and centre if you are an owner of such vehicle on the road. It doesn't matter if it is self driven, having family members or sick person on board or night or day. The cops here are issuing requisition slips, snatching away your licence or RC as collateral and you have to turn up for election duty.

The purpose of this post is, I want to know how this works out in other states? Also what options we have on our side to refuse, and not hand over our new SUVs for the dance of democracy.

[DDV437]

This still happens? I was under the impression that requisitioning of vehicles by the government was merely a hypothetical scenario. In ye olden days, when barely anyone had a car, maybe this made sense, but I find it completely insane that the government still has to resort to such tactics in 2024!

[mygodbole]

MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: This is MY PERSONAL OPINION and I am not responsible for any consequences thereof. Please consider these as suggestions only.

Legit question requires a response. Most of my opinions are 'jugaad' options. Any suggestion that works is called a 'solution'.

Rent a car if you can do without the vehicle for the duration of this 'dance of democrazy';

Use Digilocker/MParivahan for license and RC.

1) Accept the requisition slip, 'agree' and do the 'bunk'; inefficiency is almost always impossible to prove; (If one political party 'issues' such a 'requisition', try and acquire a similar counter from an opposing political party, even if it means driving to, and parking in front of, their office)

2) If you have a trusted workshop (not 'authorised' workshop), ask the workshop to keep vehicle in their garage with (a) the engine out of the engine bay; or (b) the drive shaft on the floor; or (c) any other shenanigan that makes the vehicle 'currently unusable'. The workshop needs plausible deniability;

3) If you have parking space that can be hidden from passers-by, use a car cover. (Actually this may work if none of your neighbours are nosy-parking political hacks);

4) Send the car to any f(r)iend who lives two states away (since cops seem to only target within-state private vehicles).

Please use caution and a bucket of salt (kosher or non-kosher) if considering any of the above as a possible solution.

Drive safe.

[sbanerjee]

Originally Posted by DDV437

This still happens? !l

Unfortunately yes, in the state I live in. In Calcutta it is now little less, as the police stations there have mostly by now fulfilled their individual targets (which I heard is around 60 vehicles per PS.) But the district and suburbs are a menace.

Originally Posted by mygodbole

MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: This is MY PERSONAL OPINION and I am not responsible for any consequences thereof. Please consider these as suggestions only.
.

So for the bunking theory, per section 160 of the people representation act, it carries a jail term of 1 year, or fine, or both. I am not carrying the RC, its in mParivahan. For licence, my digilocker is not working somehow, so I have the licence, but plan to produce a soft copy. I do have a beater car, and own garage, but the thought of parking the new Scorpio for more than a month is really bothering me. And in the city it is still little less risky, but god forbid once you are out of the city limits. The districts and suburbs are a different picture altogether.

I am also a member of few Facebook groups for travellers, long drives etc, and its a mayhem out there per reports. Families are asked to deboard, coming back home by bus, threats of false cases if car not allowed for requisition, you name it.


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[DicKy]

Voah!!!

Have heard of cars being called for election duty during the Ambassador days, but in 2024 !!!!!

Don't the government have enough vehicles or as per new norms rent yellow board cars for long term? Why bother with the private property of ordinary citizens?

I believe you can refuse to give you vehicle, but not sure how it will work out in practice.

[how_you_doing]

Almost all educated Bengalis have left it. I think there are probably 5 lakh Bengalis living in Bengaluru alone. Kolkata should had been at par with Mumbai in terms of GDP contribution, West Bengal should had been at par with Maharashtra.

OP, not sure you can do much unless you have political connections in local police and State government. May be have an Army or Press or Doctor or lawyer sticker? Though it is not legal. Maybe avoid taking your car on main roads till May.

[Shreyans_Jain]

It is difficult for people here in the north or western parts of India to imagine that such kind of things still happen in India. Our election ‘harassment’ is usually limited to being bombarded with ads on radio and social media, roads and intersections being defaced with banners and road closures whenever senior netajis are to arrive for rallies. Bengal is perhaps the only part of India that has actually regressed over time. Sad, for it was the richest and most progressive part of India at the time of independence.

Goes to show that it is ultimately the public who is responsible for the people they elect into power and the policies they then promulgate.

[anjan_c2007]

The best alternatives as daily drivers during such phases would be:-
(1) Switch over to a vintage car.
(2) Use a Tata Nano (624cc engine) that seats 4 and has almost no luggage space.
(3) Maruti 800 (old SS80/SB 308 pre 2014)

Under Section 160 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, a District Authority viz. The District Collector is empowered to requistion public property (movable and immovable) for emergency measures.

They commonly misuse this privilege where normally, only after all public property options to requisition for duties have been exercised, private property requisitions need to be made. Such requisitions can be made during elections and during natural and manmade disasters in public interest. Blatant misuse of the proviso has come up in the courts where many court judgments exist quashing or setting aside such orders of the District Authorities.

This time many such incidents will come to the fore as countless goverment/PSU/local self government body vehicles older than 15 years have been compulsorily deregistered all over India since April 2022. Hence with new purchases from these bodies as replacements are moving at a snails pace we can forsee many incidents. One such government department here had nearly 45 vehicles of which only four are left. The district authorities normally met their needs with the government/PSU/ local self government vehicles of which they had a list which they used every year to get hundreds of these for election work. The picture is very different in 2024 due to Gadkari's Ministry notifying deregistration of 15 year plus vehicles.

Professionals like doctors, nurses, lawyers and others engaged in emergency and essential duties (includes even office goers) and those having ailing dependents to look after can always assert their rights and desist such coloured misuse of delegated discretionary powers by the concerned.

[Samurai]

Well, just few months after I bought the Grand Vitara in 2007, I faced a similar situation in Udupi, during the 2008 state elections. There were instances where SUVs like Scorpio/Safari being snatched. But they mainly focused on 7-seater SUVs and not 5-seaters.

But that practice went away after that. Parties realised it angered people a lot, the backlash was not worth it during the election.

[deetee]

Originally Posted by sbanerjee

. I do have a beater car, and own garage, but the thought of parking the new Scorpio for more than a month is really bothering me. And in the city it is still little less risky, but god forbid once you are out of the city limits. The districts and suburbs are a different picture altogether.

Since you also have a beater car, remove the last row or even middle row seats in Scorpio and keep using it occasionally. You can tell that seats are damaged and you are waiting for replacement. Fit the seats back after elections.

[deathwalkr]

I had to read your statement twice just to see if i read it right the first time! Never heard of such a thing and the sheer audacity of it all just reeks to heck and back.

Still shaking my head in disbelief.

[ottocycle]

I have heard of this in my 90s in UP. But from last decade haven't heard of anything like this. And now I am scared of travelling this summer to other states. Do they target other state vehicles too?

And does the person whos vehicle is requisitioned get any money for the period the vehicle is doing the election duty?

[PreludeSH]

Had to check the year of the posting for some posts. Really dont want to believe its true. Not sure what kind of tasks they need private vehicles for ? They have enough 2 wheelers and buses for any task.

Shouldn't people raise their voice to annul such rules ?

[SmartCat]

Found this thread from year 2014:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route...elections.html (Travelling long distance during the Elections)

[adrift@life]

Wow is there no end to the current insanity. Really hard to believe that such a law exists. I'm quite young to know that it is to be the norm before 2008 elections. You pay almost the cost of vehicle to taxes which drives up the on road price. Twice the cost of fuel again in taxes to drive up fuel prices and yet you have to surrender your vehicle to the governments need?
To some cars are a much needed necessity irrespective of the affordability. And were supposed to give it to the goons to trash them. Any more ranting and I'll be crossing lines to make a political statement against forum rules. God save us all.