Poll panel lays down the law so Manmohan calls off first visit to Kashmir as PM

Surprisingly, the poll dates were announced way back on August 24—that’s when the code of conduct came into effect—but as late as this week, Government officials were apparently unaware.

And in fact, only yesterday, the J&K government sent a letter to the EC seeking its permission for the Prime Minister’s programme. To which the EC wrote back that under the model code ‘‘the PM can make any announcements or meet officials in any part of the state except in Srinagar, Anantnag, Jammu and Kathua.’’ This sealed the visit’s fate. For, Singh’s crowded schedule involved these districts:

• A public rally in Srinagar where he was expected to announce an economic package for the state • Laying the foundation stone of the South Kashmir campus of the Kashmir University in Anantnag • Addressing the convocation of the government-run Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science College. • Flagging off the first train on the Jammu-Udhampur railway line.

Announced as early as August 24, the notification for the by-elections have been issued for Akhnoor in Jammu district, Basoli in Kathua district, Batamaloo in Srinagar and Pahalgam in Anantnag district. ‘‘Their (EC) initial reaction was that it won’t be proper,’’ said J-K Finance, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muzzafar Hussain Beigh.

EC Dy Commissioner Noor Mohammad told The Sunday Express: ‘‘When the PM visits a constituency during the polls, he is treated as a leader of a party and not as the head of the government. Announcements for grants, etc made by him have the potential of influencing the voters in favour of the ruling party. The model code does not make allowance for that.’’

— with Santwana Bhattacharya in New Delhi