Bangalore: The helicopter carrying Union Home Minister Shivaraj Patil on an election tour to Maharashtra force landed at Gulbarga in northern Karnataka today (Oct 11, 2004) as it was running out of fuel, a top State police official said.

Karnataka DGP S N Borkar told sources that, the "error" in information received by the pilot on the longitude and latitude of the area was another reason for force landing.

The pilot landed the copter at the police grounds in Gulbarga.

Patil was scheduled to address election rallies in Lathur and nearby areas today, the last day for campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Borkar said, since the copter has been refuelled, Patil would leave for Lathur.