The Raj Bhawan in Patna is flooded with complaints of forcible seizure of buses, trucks and cars by Rashtriya Janata Dal activists for transporting people to the lathi rally, scheduled for April 30.

A Raj Bhawan press communiqué on Sunday said that the governor's office had received a number of complaints on this issue.

It, however, did not mention anything about issuing a directive to the state government to initiate suitable action in this regard.

With the date for RJD rally approaching, the woes of passengers, bus owners and private vehicle owners have increased manifold with party workers on the prowl to impound vehicles for ferrying people to the rally.

Unsuspecting passengers could be seen waiting on Sunday at the Veer Kuer Singh bus stand in Patna braving the scorching sun, but private bus owners had taken their vehicles off the roads.

"Our buses have been seized by RJD leaders to transport party workers from Siwan and Gopalganj districts," a bus owner said at the private bus stand on Harding Road on condition of anonymity fearing a backlash from RJD leaders.

Reports from different parts of the state said even buses carrying marriage parties are not being spared.

There are also reports of people advancing marriage dates as bus owners were expressing inability to ply buses for fear of losing their vehicles to RJD men.

Meanwhile, RJD general secretary Ram Kripal Yadav has vehemently denied the charge saying the vehicles have been voluntarily given by the bus owners.

Bihar Motor Transport Federation (BMTF) general secretary Sagriul Haque told PTI that the bus and truck owners were facing a tough time.

Several bus owners have returned the advance taken from marriage parties expressing their inability to honour their end of the deal as their buses have either been seized or were likely to be impounded, Haque added.

One Virendra Singh told this correspondent that his son's marriage was slated for May 1. "But I had to advance the date by a week as the bus owner refused to ferry my guests to Mirpur Jarua village in Saran district on the day of the rally."

Rasool Mian, who received the news of his grand-daughter's death at Saraian in Vaishali district on Saturday could not go to his village as there was no bus at the stand.

"I am waiting since morning for a bus to take me to my village," he lamented.

A rickshaw puller at the Harding Park private bus stand Raju Sahni said there were few passengers arriving on Sunday.

RJD ministers, legislators and party activists are vying with each other to bring more and more people to Patna to comply with party president Laloo Prasad Yadav's directive to ensure participation in large numbers.

Some buses were seen parked in front of official residences of many ministers and powerful legislators to be sent to their constituencies to bring people to the rally.

For the past one week, Laloo Prasad Yadav himself is on a tour of the state in a private chopper to garner support for the rally.