CM Akhilesh Yadav in race to crack Election Commission code

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is all set to have a slim, 45-minute edge over the Election Commission in the race to beat the model code of conduct on Wednesday. Scheduling the foundation-laying ceremony of the Kamdhenu Dairy Project just before Election Commissioner VS Sampath is expected to announce the dates of the Lok Sabha polls, this, however, could be Akhilesh's last attempt to push pending development initiatives before the state goes to poll.

With notification news gripping the state for nearly a week, the government has been in a hurry to get welfare schemes and poll sops off the ground before the model code of conduct is implemented. Uncertain about when the announcement is finally made - and ECI rarely does it before 10 am - official government programmes are now scheduled crucially in the early hours of morning in a bid to beat the EC announcement.

Sample this: elections were first expected to be notified on March 3. One day ahead, Akhilesh was seen getting the Delhi Mumbai Industrial corridor off the ground at 9.45am. When the morning notification did not arrive on March 3, the CM was at it again, this time laying the foundation stone for multi-crore projects by early evening.

With the uncertainty likely to end today, though, Akhilesh plans to finish in style with a clear 45-minute advantage. If Sampath announces the dates around 10.30 am, as is expected, Akhilesh would still have got his chance at getting fresh projects off the ground. Even if the notification is delayed, however, there's little worry in the power corridors; there's always a fresh load of projects that the CM can kick-start.