On the money

Reimbursements are creating a different kind of headache for a group of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from the high-profile constituency of Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. They had spent a little extravagantly in anticipation of defeating long-time Congress incumbent Kamal Nath. Having been assured that they would be reimbursed at least to the permissible limits, many had taken loans from relatives and friends to defray campaign expenses. But to their shock, Kamal Nath emerged victorious. Now the group has approached the party's state office in Bhopal to meet organisational general secretary Arvind Menon and demand reimbursement. But Menon and other senior leaders have been missing. All this hapless group has received so far is assurances from officials lower down the ranks.