Hundreds of people who had booked cars for delivery on Dhanteras day were left disappointed when they were told they would have to wait a few more weeks for their shiny, new vehicles.
"We are upset as our children and other family members were upbeat about the car. But the showroom manager told us that it was not possible to deliver it Wednesday night," Satish Kumar Singh, a government employee, told IANS.
Increased security due to the ongoing elections, which has made inter-state transportation difficult, is a major cause for delay in car deliveries, dealers said.
But the showrooms and automakers are also unable to keep pace with surging demand for cars.
"In Patna alone, nearly 2,000 cars were booked for delivery on Dhanteras. Dealers could deliver only 1,267 cars because of shortages in supply," said an official of Vau's Automobiles, Maruti's authorised dealer in Patna.
Vijay Kumar, sales manager of a car showroom here, told IANS that bookings for cars reflected the high demand, and it was a good opportunity for business, but shortages have made it difficult to deliver all the cars booked in the festive season.
"The ongoing elections have also contributed to the shortage," said Pramod Kumar, a showroom official.
Delivery of cars would be made next week, or by the end of this month, he said.