IN THE MANAGER: Arjun Singh

Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh is sulking these days, a fallout of his increasing marginalisation in the party. In a bid to redress his grievance, he whined about increasing attack on Dalits in his home state of Madhya Pradesh.

Powers that be in the AICC were puzzled by this complaint. They nonetheless took the hint. Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni held a dinner meeting at her residence, which included senior leaders from Madhya Pradesh. The main item on the menu was to get Chief Minister Digvijay Singh to massage the stalwart's bruised ego. Judging by the bruises and the noises made, it won't be the Last Supper for either of them.

Governing Grudge

PIQUED: Mahavir

Nearing the end of his tenure as Madhya Pradesh governor, Bhai Mahavir is losing no opportunity to get back at his nemesis, Chief Minister Digvijay Singh. During President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's recent visit to the state, Mahavir feigned ignorance at an Education Department function about the Education Guarantee Act which he had signed.

More pointed was his snub at the breakfast meet at the Raj Bhavan. There were only three chairs-for Kalam, Chief Justice of India B.N. Kirpal and Mahavir-none for Digvijay.

If Mahavir is shifted to Mumbai, as is being speculated, then it will be Vilasrao Deshmukh who would have to put up with the governor's cold war tactics.

CORRUPT FLOPPY: It is a scam within a scam. BJP's Lucknow office is in an uproar. A floppy containing the recommendation of senior party leaders on petrol pump and LPG allotments is missing and state chief Vinay Katiyar is searching high and low for the critical disk. It seems that some outsiders had also managed to get recommendations posing as BJP workers. Katiyar wants to know the names of such beneficiaries and their patrons. But the culprits seem to be a step ahead of him.

POLL BILL: With six months to go for assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has hired a Delhi-based pr firm to tell the people about his Government's achievements. The Rs 40 lakh bill is being met by the state exchequer. "It's like running the BJP's election campaign at official expense," fumes PCC chief Vidya Stokes. Something the BJP used to complain about when in opposition.