With auspicious dates for tying the nuptial knot clashing with the festival of democracy, wedding parties are likely to face a vehicle crunch after the administration seizes a large number of commercial vehicles for election duty.

The state government, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has the power to requisition premises and vehicles for poll purposes.

City-based priest Pandit Sanjay Chatterjee, a native of Birsanagar, said that most auspicious dates for marriage this year are between November 30 and December 12.

“The most auspicious dates for marriage are on November 30, December 6 and December 12 and most marriages, as per Hindu calendar, will fall on these dates,” said Chatterjee.

The first of the five-phase Assembly election in Jharkhand starts November 30, while the second phase is on December 7 and the third phase is on December 12.

The first phase will see elections in 13 seats — prominent being Chatra, Gumla, Garhwa, Lohardaga and Daltonganj — the second phase will see elections in 20 seats — including Ghatshila, Jugsalai, Jamshedpur East, Jamshedpur West, Chaibasa, Chakradharpur, Khunti and Simdega. The third phase will see polls in 17 seats, prominent amongst them being Koderma, Barhi, Barkagaon, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Hatia, Khijri and Kanke.

“We will be requiring over 1250 commercial vehicles for poll related duties,” said Ranchi district transport officer (DTO) Sanjeev Kumar. “We have already sent requisitions to vehicles owners for submitting their vehicles and seizure of vehicles have already begun. We will be releasing the vehicles on night of December 12. This apart, the police department will be seizing vehicles for their own needs.”

The Ranchi DTO further said that they will be focusing mostly on buses and SUVs.

Jamshedpur DTO Dinesh Kumar Ranjan said that the seized vehicles will be kept at the Jamshedpur Cooperative College ground between December 2 and December 8.

“We will be requiring over 850 commercial vehicles for poll related duties in the six assembly constituencies falling under East Singhbhum district. The police will be seizing vehicles, nearly 100 more, on their own, and all vehicles will be released on December 8 morning,” said Ranjan.

Ranchi bus owners association president Krishna Mohan Singh admitted that baraatis could face problems.

“We get bulk orders for wedding parties for going to different districts of the state and also to UP and Bihar during the wedding season. But we will have to surrender our buses. It will create problems for the bridegrooms’ sides. But we have no option,” said Singh.

Jamshedpur Mini Bus Owners Association (an association of private city bus operators) president Sanjay Pandey said that they had got notices and will have to surrender buses.

“During wedding season we used to have bookings for our buses both for rural and urban areas. But we will have to surrender our buses for the election,” said Pandey.