Election officials seize Deve Gowda’s car in Karnataka

After BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa, it was the turn of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to have his car seized by the Election Commission officials in Nanjangud, about 160 kms from here.

After touring Chamaraja assembly constituency in Mysore for which his car had secured the necessary permission from the Election Commission officials, the former Prime Minister decided to drive down to neighbouring Nanjangud town on Monday.

The Election Commission officials cleared his car to visit Nanjangud as he had apparently told them that he would be visiting the famous Srikanteshwara Temple in the town. But, when Gowda drove straight to the party office in the temple town for its inauguration, the elections decided to crack the whip.

While Gowda was addressing the workers after inaugurating the party office, election commission officials arrived on the scene, confiscated the car and drove it away, leaving the former Prime Minister red-faced.

“The car was cleared for Nanjangud visit as it did not involve electioneering. We decided to seize it as the vehicle was used for election campaign without securing the mandatory permission”, an election official explained.

However, an enraged Gowda trained his guns on election officials and questioned why the car in which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi travelled during his visit to the region recently was not seized. “Did Rahul Gandhi have the requisite permits when he visited here? Don’t laws apply to him?”, the former Prime Minister queried while speaking to reporters later.

He also sought to caution the election officials that the car they had confiscated was carrying the former Prime Minister of the country. “I am a former Prime Minister and my job is to tour the nation. Do I have to take permission from the officials wherever I go? In the name of curbing electoral malpractices, the officials are doing injustice”, he said.

Gowda also refused to secure the release of his car. “I don’t want the vehicle. Let the officials have it”, Gowda muttered before leaving the venue.

Before confiscating the car of the former Prime Minister, the officials allowed Gowda’s aides to remove his belongings, including a box of medicine. Gowda left the venue in a different car.