KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister of Council to postpone Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s visit to Dadeldhura.

Prime Minister Deuba was preparing to go to Dadeldhura for election campaigning at government expense. In that sequence, the Prime Minister’s office had sent a letter to the EC seeking permission. In its response to the letter EC directed the PM’s office to postpone the visit citing the code of conduct does not allow the PM and the Ministers to attend election campaign at government expense.

“EC received a letter seeking permission for the Prime Minister’s Dadeldhura trip at the government expense. It is decided that he could not be given permission as he wanted to go for campaigning and not for government work,’ said an official at the EC.

The commission had earlier stipulated in the code of conduct that the prime minister and ministers are not allowed to campaign in areas other than where they are candidates.

Prime Minister Deuba was preparing to go to Dadeldhura, which is also his constituency, on Wednesday. His election program is scheduled from Thursday.