[anujmishra]

Election dates are announced in country and to complete these election it will take around one and half months during peak vacation season of India. Precise dates are it will start from 7th April, 2014 and goes till 16th May, 2014 until results are declared. In fact election activities are started quite before than 7th April in almost all states.

During this long duration, it is impossible for everyone not to drive long distance during peak vacation season in India. I myself would drive 5000+ Kms from 1st May to 16th May duration passing through states KA, AP, OR, WB, JH. Programs are set during these days and it is impossible for me to backtrack. Problem is, I will be driving Tata Safari during these hounded states during peak election time. Tata Safari (SUV) is one of the favorite vehicle for election duty and in these stated they forcibly impound some private vehicles as well.

Taxi operators become very smart these days and they hide their vehicles during election time as they cannot refuse to get hired. On election duty they squeeze every bit of out of the vehicles due to gross mishandling and resulting in inflated maintenance bills post election, which they don't pay.

I would like to understand, if we cannot avoid driving during these days, what would be alternative to safeguard our vehicles? Share you opinions with incidents you know, if any.

There are some news surfaced in TOI. News links below:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/H...w/32993515.cms


Some old news about private vehicles requisition:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...ow/7938613.cms

[jkrishnakj]

Good topic Anuj.

To my mind, i don't see any reasons for worry. I own a Safari too. I have seen two behaviours, particularly in TN.

1. Most guys think that i am affiliated to some political party in TN, given that most of the politicians want SUV's during this time - and i get some tentative looks from people outside

2. There are stoppages at many places - where i have been asked to stop several times - largely to check for cash being transported.

These two above are from my experience of driving thru TN/KA during the last assembly elections.

Last week end and the previous one - two long drives, and i was stopped 5 times for checking - thrice at TN and twice at KA. I have another drive coming up this weekend to Kanchipuram and am expecting to be stopped again a few times for checking. So, am all prepared.

[mayankk]

Oh man.
I am driving to Agra on the 4th this month with my newborn.
The car's a silver tucson, which I dont think crops up a lot on the goony-radar interception, but still, would that be alright?

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

I would like to understand, if we cannot avoid driving during these days, what would be alternative to safeguard our vehicles? Share you opinions with incidents you know, if any.

Your main concern or worry is not from the political parties but the Govt. itself.
As you said your programme would be from 01/05 to 16/05, only two election dates will fall within this period i.e. 07/05 and 12/05. The elections in JH (your destination) will be over by 24/04, so there should not be any problem here. Your major problem, if any, should be while crossing WB, where elections are scheduled on 7th and 12th of May and as many has already said in a seperate thread, the state has such dubious record in the past.

But again the govt. will not wait for the last week to requisition vehicles for election duty and the process may already be over by the time you reach these places. You can only pray for something like that.

The police team generally concentrates on the major roads in an attempt to catch most number of vehicles in the shortest possible time. One way of avoiding such situation may to be take the road less travelled (if at all possible) or to get a feedback from the roadside shops and decide accordingly.

Another way maybe to have a medical certificate.

[shipnil]

Can we avoid this if we paste some political parties stickers on the windshield/bumpers/number plates? That way we can always say, so and so party uses this vehicle for elections and you are on a trip to drop someone to somplace?

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Last week end and the previous one - two long drives, and i was stopped 5 times for checking - thrice at TN and twice at KA.

Such things are not heard in KA, TN generally. Yes, I am also expecting lots of checking during my travel.

Originally Posted by mayankk

Oh man.
I am driving to Agra on the 4th this month with my newborn.

With family & baby it should not be an issue. But can't confirm.

Originally Posted by Sommos

Your main concern or worry is not from the political parties but the Govt. itself.
...

Another way maybe to have a medical certificate.

My main concern in WB mostly. I cannot avoid that state. I feel smaller roads would have more rowdy kind of police than on highways. Atleast on highway I can say I am long distance traveler.
Medical certificate might not work in this case.

Originally Posted by shipnil

Can we avoid this if we paste some political parties stickers on the windshield/bumpers/number plates?

I feel this is more dangerous and always the other party members lookout for opposition party vehicles. Many such vehicle damage reported during election time.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

I would like to understand, if we cannot avoid driving during these days, what would be alternative to safeguard our vehicles? Share you opinions with incidents you know, if any.

Will you be travelling alone? If your family is with you, I guess there's less probability of being harassed for this purpose.

If you know any big shot bureaucrat in those areas via family/extended family/friend circle connections, then carry a letter on his/her letterhead stating you are part of his staff etc. You never know, it might come in handy.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Vikram

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

My main concern in WB mostly. I cannot avoid that state. I feel smaller roads would have more rowdy kind of police than on highways. Atleast on highway I can say I am long distance traveler.
Medical certificate might not work in this case.

From your posts I presume you're planning to take the NH6 & NH2 to cross through WB. Several cities on this route would be having their election on 07/5 (like Mednipur, Asansol) and on 12/5 (like Kolkata etc.).

If you're scared to cross this route due to the elections why don't you take the route through Jamshedpur avoiding WB completely. There is a diversion from Balasore-Baripada-Bisoi-Rairangpur-Jamshedpur, the road may not be very good but is can be done safely.

[1100D]

I am planning a Kolkata-Srinagar (Via Varanasi, Delhi) starting on 17th-May-2014. I would be crossing WB, Jharkhand, Bihar, UP amongst other northern states. Should I assume I am safe outside the Election window. In anycase, I will undertake the trip in my Scorpio with my wife and Kid.

[Ramp]

I was stopped 7 times in my 3 days trip in TN. All the time they recorded the search in Handy cam. This is to stop / preventing money distribution for the voters. Unless you have excess money in lakhs or something without proper documents, you don't have to worry.

[Sommos]

Originally Posted by 1100D

I am planning a Kolkata-Srinagar (Via Varanasi, Delhi) starting on 17th-May-2014. I would be crossing WB, Jharkhand, Bihar, UP amongst other northern states. Should I assume I am safe outside the Election window. In anycase, I will undertake the trip in my Scorpio with my wife and Kid.

Certainly Anirban, the counting will be over by 16th midnight.
But you cannot rule out being stranded due to post election celebrations though.

Originally Posted by Ramp

I was stopped 7 times in my 3 days trip in TN. All the time they recorded the search in Handy cam. This is to stop / preventing money distribution for the voters. Unless you have excess money in lakhs or something without proper documents, you don't have to worry.

No it is not only cash but they are keeping a watch on a whole lot of other things related to the election. Several of my juniors have been requisitioned for election duty and some of them are doing just this at present. But they will not harass the general public except the search operation, which is part of their duty, so nobody needs to worry about this.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by mayankk

The car's a silver tucson...

It's lower-end SUVs that are on their radar - Boleros, Sumos, Scorpios, Innovas, Xylos and Safaris, though I noticed an EcoSport being requisitioned last week at Modinagar. Fortuners are also welcome! Tucsons and Yetis shouldn't be so much in demand, but who knows what the chaps might be thinking.

Originally Posted by 1100D

...Kolkata-Srinagar (Via Varanasi, Delhi) starting on 17th-May-2014.
Should I assume I am safe outside the Election window.

Yes, no issues from the 16th onwards (the date of counting).

The only people empowered to release your car once it has been requisitioned are (1) the District Magistrate and (2) the Electoral Officer of the state. Connections with ministers, MPs, MLAs, politicians, police and sundry other bigwigs don't help. Brandishing such connections during requisitioning makes things a little worse.

If you need to travel during these times, take out the hatchback! No one requisitions those.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

It's lower-end SUVs that are on their radar - Boleros, Sumos, Scorpios, Innovas, Xylos and Safaris, though I noticed an EcoSport being requisitioned last week at Modinagar. Fortuners are also welcome! Tucsons and Yetis shouldn't be so much in demand, but who knows what the chaps might be thinking..

So how does this work.
Suppose you are with family on a trip about 1000kms away from home. they just stop you and take your car and leave you on the road?
That said
Read this article
There are 2 high court rulings which say private cars cannot be requisitioned without consent of owner
http://www.telegraphindia.com/111041...y_13852980.jsp

[1100D]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

So how does this work.
Suppose you are with family on a trip about 1000kms away from home. they just stop you and take your car and leave you on the road?
That said
Read this article
There are 2 high court rulings which say private cars cannot be requisitioned without consent of owner
http://www.telegraphindia.com/111041...y_13852980.jsp

That's an Old article. As of today, my Aunt's pristine white 1982 Mark 4 Amby has been requisitioned without bothering to take owner's consent. It was being driven back from office by the Chauffeur. Will have to make the car disfunctional on Poll date.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

...they just stop you and take your car and leave you on the road?
That said
Read this article

No, they take your car papers and give you a requisition slip to produce your car at a particular place on a given date and time, with or without a driver. It's a criminal offence not to comply, and I don't think any one of us is interested to find out the consequences of non-compliance!

The cops empowered to requisition cars for election duty on behalf of the Election Commission don't read those articles. Their response is, humko apna kaam karne doh, aapko jo kehna hai saabko bolna- let us do our job, whatever you have to say, say it to the saab (usually the DM)