If Sharad Pawar's entry was grand, Jagmohan Dalmiya's began quietly, as he emerged down a corridoor in the hotel. But as he neared the room where the AGM was to take place the noise level went through the roof. Television cameramen and photographers numbering more than 100, packed into a small galley, fell over each other to get a picture. The frenzy reached such a crescendo that the hotel staff were forced to step up and threaten to throw the whole lot out if they could not work without disturbing the peace.

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports are filtering thick and fast that many
representations were made to the court-appointed observer in the wee hours of the morning. The rumour is that rival factions in the three contentious associations - Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar/Jharkhand - would be allowed to vote, in sealed envelopes. Then, on resoltion of which group was deemed the authorised representative, the vote would be counted.

Genuine grievances or depserate delay tactics from a incumbent seeing his grasp on power slipping? Watch this space ...