It may change the graph of many political careers in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The bifurcation of the two states has occasioned a process of delimitation of constituencies by the Election Commission. The Ajit Jogi Government in Chhattisgarh has recommended an increase of between nine and 20 assembly seats in the state based on its projections of increase in population. Madhya Pradesh may see an increase of two seats.

DRAWING PLOTS: New delimitations will affect both Jogi (left) and Digvijay

Congress leader Arjun Singh's home district Sidhi is immediately affected. He has represented the family seat Churhat in the state Assembly but has had to move to Satna and Hoshangabad for parliamentary elections because Sidhi is a reserved seat. An assembly seat reserved for tribals in Sidhi constituency has already moved to Chhattisgarh and with four general segments out of the six left, Sidhi has a good chance of becoming a general seat. Some clever redrawing of the constituency along with neighbouring Satna could change the status of both the constituencies.

The State Reorganisation Act, which led to the formation of Chhattisgarh, also permits geographical reorganisation of boundaries. So an assembly seat like Mandir Hasaud, a general seat but one that has a huge sc population, may be reserved for the scheduled castes by including larger tracts of sc population in it. Bilaspur and Kota are other segments that may be redesignated as sc. Reports of constituency reorganisation is keeping veteran Congressmen on tenterhooks. The BJP, however, is worried that the reorganisation will upset its growing tribal vote bank.

-Neeraj Mishra

THE GOLDEN PUMPKIN

GAMESMANSH- IP: Abdullah

His party lost several seats in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, but outgoing chief minister Farooq Abdullah retained his sarcasm. "Let me now see how they form the government," was his comment on his vanquishers-the Congress and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). In a calculated move to throw the wobbly parleys for government formation off balance, he refused to continue as caretaker chief minister, ignoring requests from the prime minister and the Raj Bhavan. He then proceeded to tee off at his favourite hangout-Srinagar's Rs 42-crore Springdale Golf Course.

As the stalemate continues, Abdullah, who heads the single largest party in the state, is being described as the man with ladoos in both hands. For, if the Congress and PDP do bury the hatchet, it would be a creaky coalition. An independent Congress government wouldn't be much better. So Abdullah is playing spoilsport, making overtures to second-rung PDP leaders and hugging Bhim Singh, who commands the four-MLA-strong Panthers Party. Asked if his party was still in the reckoning, Abdullah snapped: "We are in the business of politics not charity." The former chief minister's ultimate strategy is to facilitate a dispensation that would soon fall under its own weight. In the bargain, Kashmir's future hangs in dangerous balance. Farooq's gamesmanship-at the golf course or in the political arena-is not generally aimed at the fairway.

TRAVEL

LAS VEGAS: New Comfort Inn has special rates of $59 a night till December 31, 2002. Breakfast and transfers included. Free accommodation for children under 17. Contact: 011-4690397. Log on to www.choicehotels.com before January 31, 2003 and you might win a trip for 10 for four nights at $500 per person. No purchase required to enter.

JAIPUR: Narain Niwas is offering a 255 per cent discounted rate of Rs 1,500 for a double room. Valid till November 30, 2002. e-mail: kanota@sancharnet.in.

MUMBAI: Kairali Health Farms' inaugural membership packages include 12 abhyangams (oil massage with steam bath) for Rs 5,000 and 40 abhyangams for Rs 17,000. Valid till December 2003. Members get a 20 per cent discount on all Kairali resort packages in India. e-mail: kairali@vsnl.com

-Neelam Mathews