New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Jan 19, 2004) called off his six-day visit to Thailand and Australia from February 8 apparently in view of the coming Lok Sabha elections.

A statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry said Vajpayee informed his Thai counterpart, Thaksin Shinawatra, over telephone on Saturday (Jan 17, 2004) and today that he would be unable to attend the forthcoming BIMST-EC Summit "because of a number of domestic preoccupations".

Shinawatra conveyed that he had discussed this with other leaders of BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand-Economic Cooperation) and it was felt that it would be "inappropriate to proceed with the Summit under these circumstances".

It was, therefore, agreed that the Summit would be "postponed" to a subsequent mutually convenient date, to be fixed through diplomatic channels, the statement said.

The Prime Minister has also postponed his bilateral visit to Australia, which was scheduled to follow his trip to Phuket for the BIMST-EC meet. He has written to the Australian Prime Minister John Howard explaining the circumstances, the statement said.

Official and NDA (National Democratic Alliance) sources said it was felt that the Prime Minister's presence here was required in view of the likely dissolution of the Lok Sabha and the hectic preparations that may follow in the run up to the Parliamentary elections.

His guidance and direction were also needed as the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) begins parleys with NDA partners and allies and explores prospects of engaging new parties and independents, the sources said.