Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is livid with the Election Commission's do's and don'ts, and has threatened to take the matter to the Supreme Court: "I do not cease to be a chief minister during political or personal visits, and not being accompanied by a government official would create some practical difficulties in maintaining a link with the affairs of the state." The EC has been particularly strict in its insistence that Gogoi refrain from taking his private secretary along on private visits, or interact with the DGP -- a condition that Gogoi finds untenable in a state reeling from terrorist attacks. It's a predicament most of his counterparts in other states share.

The model code of conduct is geared towards squashing the ruling parties' attempts to extract electoral mileage from its position, and certainly , the EC should do its best to curb last minute attempts at patronage politics. So the state should not dangle any financial lures, lay foundation stones or inaugurate new projects or public works, and they should not mess with government appointments at the last minute. Therefore, friction is built into the very relationship -- incumbent leaders chafe against the restrictions placed on them and for its part, the EC must take every care to ensue that its interventions are justified by the gravity of the infraction. This time, there is widespread consensus that the commission has set itself as a clucky chaperone on steroids, inserting itself into every minor quarrel. Like a prissy Miss Manners, it has laid down strictures on what not to say, where not to go, and even what not to wear (state officials in Andhra Pradesh have been forbidden from wearing colours associated with a particular party). Since it is an institution with no direct punitive powers of its own, it is vital that its credibility and seriousness are not put into question by this avalanche of petty injunctions.

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