The Government's attempt to take the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) out of the purview of the Election Commission by giving it a statutory backing appears to have become a stillborn as it came out with a flat denial that "there is no such move under contemplation of the Government or the Group of Ministers (GoM)."

As if the issue is not even flagged for the meeting of the GoM on corruption which is meeting on Wednesday, it claims that only "incidental references were made to the issue of code of conduct" in the course of discussions during a GoM meeting on September 30 on the viability of various alternatives on the question of state funding of elections presented by the union legislative secretary and nothing more should be read into it.

The 33-page 'agenda note' for the GoM's meeting on Wednesday, however, says otherwise. It shows that it's not just "incidental references" as the Department of Personnel is trying to make out in a lengthy press note.

"The chairman was also of the view that 'Code of Conduct' was one of the biggest excuses to stall development projects, and thus agreed with the request of the law minister to flag this issue and its inclusion in the agenda papers," reads Para 5 on Page 3 of the 'Agenda Note' marked "secret" under the heading "Terms of Reference (ii)(a): State Funding of Elections."

CODE OF CONDUCT ON GOM AGENDA: CLASH WITH EC?

The government may come into confrontation with the Election Commission over its attempt to curb the latter's immense authority to almost take over all administration powers through the Model Code of Conduct during the elections.

Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi intends to write to the President of India on the matter the government is trying to meddle into after its two senior union ministers and Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi were pulled up for violation of the code, EC sources said.

The Model Code of Conduct has been flagged for discussion in a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on corruption convened here Wednesday afternoon on the request of Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who had to tender regrets last week after getting a snub from the Election Commission for defiance of the code.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, chairman of the GoM, has agreed that the code brought into force by the Election Commission during elections was "one of the biggest excuses to stall development projects," say the agenda papers for the 7th meeting of the GoM.

The Secretary, Legislative Department, will be making a presentation before the GoM in this regard. The GoM will also examine executive instructions issued by the Election Commission over the years for giving them a statutory shape through a legislation.

The GoM will push for recommendations on various poll-related issues, excluding such areas where consultation with political parties was required, sources said.

The GoM set up in January last year has so far held six meetings. The last meeting was held way back in September 30. A background note circulated for Wednesday meeting details progress made by the government on its recommendations on nine of the issues, including the Lokpal Bill.