DRUG INDUSTRY-On the Roll

other Congress leaders, also proceeded to file their nominations as independent candidates. The decision of the Congress central leadership to expel Scindia, Kamalnath and Netam for contesting against the official Congress candidates threatened to spell doom for the party, raising the prospect of a strong Scindia-Kamalnath- Arjun Singh axis and even endangering Digvijay Singh's government which survives on the support of ML As owing allegiance to these leaders. Though this disaster has been avoided by the Congress decision to field the wives of Kamalnath and Netam from Chhindwara and Ranker constituencies respectively, the challenge of Arjun Singh remains. Singh, who also has been charged inthe 'hawala' scandal, is banking on regional issues, like the neglect of tendu leaf pluckers by the state government, to refurbish his image. In his days of chief ministership, he had started co-operative societies of tendu leaf pluckers replacing the contractor system. Singh, who has a hold in Vindhyachal and Chhatisgarh, is expected to divide Congress votes in these regions.