No comment, we're polling

The Election Commission may be facing the Bharatiya Janata Party's wrath for its decision to cancel a rally by its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi, but there is one place where the poll panel's model of conduct is strictly being followed - in "letter and spirit". Wary bureaucrats are just not taking decisions even on operational issues. Even forming opinion or commenting on inter-ministerial issues are held up. When the power ministry recently floated a Cabinet note for a revised package for gas-based power generation, the ministry of finance replied saying it could not comment because of the model code of conduct in place for the elections. This when the ministries and departments are trying to keep the pot boiling for the new government to take decisions.