Art-house cine buffs may perhaps call it A Short Film About Scandal. In the political hothouse of Uttar Pradesh, nobody has time for such sensibilities. The 28-minute film "released" by the Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders in Lucknow on March 3 has no heroes and only one villain: Mayawati, chief minister, BSP leader and Dalit queen.

TWIN FOES: Tewari (second) and Khan felt Mayawati (first) outdid them by stealth

It begins innocuously enough with Mayawati alighting from her car surrounded by the regulation posse of commandos, and cutting a ribbon to open a party meeting in the fortress-like BSP headquarters in Lucknow. Seven party leaders queue up before her, hands folded, and she thunders at them, "Tune paisa de diye kya (Have you deposited the money)?" One of those addressed nods vigorously, "Ji behenji (Yes madam)."

It's not over: "Tujhe to ek jama karna tha, tune pachas hajaar hi diya (You had to deposit Rs 1 lakh but have given only Rs 50,000)." At this point, Nasimmuddin, a trusted Mayawati lieutenant and now a minister in her Government, intervenes, "Behenji, yeh jama kar dete hain, par thoda thoda (Madam he pays, but bit by bit)."

A few shots later, Mayawati is plonked on a chair, addressing party MLAs and MPs seated on the floor. The sermon is devoted to fund mobilisation. A new formula is announced, "Ab main apna tarika batati hoon paisa dene ka. Aur agle saal se yahi chalega. UP mein har vidhayak ko pachattar lakh milta hai ... Agar vidhayak imandari se bhi kaam kare to use log paanch lakh to de hi jaate hai ... To bhai paanch lakh mein se chaar lakh apne chetra mein ghumne ke liye rakho, par ek lakh to party ko jama kar do. Isi tarah MP logon ko har saal do crore milta hai, to unhe do lakh dena hoga. (Now I'll tell you my method of depositing money. It will be applicable from the coming year. In Uttar Pradesh, every MLA gets Rs 75 lakh a year to fund projects. Even an honest MLA gets a kickback of Rs 5 lakh from those he funds. Keep Rs 4 lakh but deposit Rs 1 lakh with the party. Similarly, MPs get Rs 2 crore a year and they will have to give Rs 2 lakh)."

The reference was to Vidhayak Nidhi, a scheme for state MLAs, and to the MP Local Area Development Scheme. Under these programmes, legislators get money from the exchequer to fund projects of their choice in their constituencies. Accusations of favouritism and corruption have been rampant.

OLD FOX: Mulayam managed to fluster Mayawati but couldn't quite fell her

SP ATTACK BSP COUNTER-ATTACK > TAPE TALK: Releases a film showing Mayawati asking BSP MLAs and MPs to divert funds. > STEALTH BOMBER: Kept the film under wraps for three months after getting it through a mole. > TRUSTY ASSAULT: The no-trust motion was rejected, but has secured backing of the rump Congress. > YOU TOO, YOU TOO: Accuses Mulayam of using MLA/MP scheme to promote pet family projects. > PAST IMPERFECT: Inquiry instituted into Mulayam's misuse of state funds when he was chief minister. > LEGISLATIVE COUP: Outsmarted SP by bringing forward the no-trust vote. Won a tactical victory.

The video film was apparently shot on February 11, 2001, by an enthusiastic BSP supporter. As it was a private function-Mayawati held no government post at the time-the recording should never have become public. Certainly, Mayawati hadn't imagined in her wildest nightmares that it would become a propaganda weapon for her SP rivals.

The chief minister may have been done in by her own zeal for publicity. It seems the state Information Department was collecting material to promote Mayawati and was handed over the video film by the BSP. The SP sources in the Information Department, the assessment goes, handed over the footage to the Opposition.

The SP leaders say they got the master cassette three months ago. A conclave of the Samajwadi brass was held in Delhi to decide the timing of the "expose". Akhilesh Yadav, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's parliamentarian son, advised waiting for the Assembly session and pinning down the chief minister. The session began on February 28. The SP focused its initial ire on "partisan" Speaker Kesarinath Tripathi. This was a red herring to keep Mayawati off guard. On March 3, Shivpal Yadav, SP vice-president and Mulayam's brother, made the "sensational" disclosure and demanded the governor dismiss her.

The SP moved a no-confidence motion in the Assembly on March 4. As the gossip mills in Lucknow began to buzz, Mulayam was said to be "in touch" with numerous possible defector MLAs from the ruling BSP-BJP combine.

Despite being rattled, Mayawati launched a vicious counter-attack. She used police constables to keep tabs on the SP office and on those who came to meet Mulayam. She also cited instances of her rivals misusing the Vidhayak Nidhi. "Schools and colleges named after Mulayam's father have been constructed with Vidhayak Nidhi of the SP MLAs," she charged, "Isn't that corruption?" A high-level inquiry into the misuse of discretionary funds by Mulayam was announced. As chief minister in 1990-91 and then again in 1993-95, Mulayam is said to have "obliged" friendly journalists and others. As for the offending video cassette, Mayawati claimed it was doctored.

When the Assembly met on March 5, there was pandemonium. SP MLAs began shouting, "Ab to yeh spasht hai, Mayawati bhrasht hai (It is now clear Mayawati is corrupt)." BSP MLas responded with "Mulayam Singh chor hai (Mulayam is a thief)." The Speaker decided to take up the no-confidence motion immediately. The Opposition was unprepared, many of its MLAs were absent. Leader of the Opposition Mohammad Azam Khan (SP) and Congress leader Pramod Tewari sought time for a debate, but were denied this. Opposition MLAs threw curd and curries towards the Speaker's chair.

Nevertheless, a vote was rushed through and the no-confidence motion rejected. Almost at once, the Assembly was adjourned sine die, two days before the scheduled March 7 closing. Mayawati lived to fight another day.