Narendra Modi asks students to email him !      [The Indian Express]

Surprising, isn't it ?  I wonder if he is looking for sycophants.  Or does he really want to know what school-children think of him ?

The Election Commission, rightly, rules out early elections in Gujarat      

Why should the Gujarat Government hurry for elections ?  And I wonder if they really are confident that they would win if they held elections today.  Would they really win ?  Would the population of Gujarat vote the same way as the hooligans ?

However, the Union Cabinet seems to have decided that Article 174 requires that elections must be held as the Governor must call the legislative assembly not later than 6 months from the last sitting.   They may only be trying to avert questions about confrontation with the Election Commission (or actually not trusting the Election Commission) by talking of making the reference under Article 143.  I have my doubts about the Union Cabinet's stand. Remember, it was the Gujarat Chief Minister who recommended to the Governor that the assembly be dissolved -- he hadn't checked with the Election Commission then.  Furthermore he did it well ahead of time.   Of course, it could have been argued that the Election Commission has no locus standi until and unless the assembly is dissolved.  Conversely, I would say that the Election Commission can decide whether elections can be held, not the Governor.  Therefore, notwithstanding the dissolution of the assembly, the Election Commission has the power to determine that elections be delayed.  It is only right for it to recommend President's Rule as a caretaker government cannot really have much authority and should not be in office for too long.

Surprisingly, although it was a Union Cabinet decision to recommend to the President that he seeks the Supreme Court's opinion, the Prime Minister has offered a cryptic "no comment" on it.  I wonder who's the Head of Government ?

Will the Kashmir Elections be the farce that Musharraf has called them ?

With the non-participation by the Hurriyat, in all probability, voter turnout will be low and western "democracies" will be unimpressed.  India would lose it's bargaining position.  Mr Advani only makes it worse by asserting that the Hurriyat's participation was in doubt and going further to say that Musharraf's statement was a call to certain elements not to participate in the polls.  Advani seems to be bent on being negative about his own Government's stand.