New Delhi:
It's usually lonely at the top, say those who've enjoyed any sort of high.
For Suresh Kalmadi, however, the narrative has been a little different. First as a heavyweight in Maharashtra politics, and then as Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games, Mr Kalmadi's posse was a substantial one. He is not a camera-shy man, and so his entourage enjoyed frequent outings. Now, with his closest aides arrested, it's a lonely twilight for him. Most politicians are avoiding the National Games in Ranchi because Mr Kalmadi is supervising them.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken has decided to skip the event citing "preoccupation with current Parliament session" as the reason. He apparently doesn't want to share the dais with Mr Kalmadi, who many believe is likely to be arrested soon (his right hand man, Lalit Bhanot, who served as Secretary General of the Organising Committee was arrested).
(Read: Ajay Maken to skip National Games closing ceremony)Mr Kalmadi's undoing was substantially provoked by his determination to position himself as the face of the Games.
As the Games approached, it emerged that Mr Kalmadi and several of his closest associates -many of who served on the Organising Committee with him - seemed to have incorporated themselves as a Badmaash Company. Together, they selected companies whose services were grossly over-priced. Whether this was done in return for handsome kickbacks is what the CBI is investigating currently.
The corruption was compounded by severe inefficiency so that weeks before the Games began in October, the shoddy arrangements were headlined and mocked in the international media. A furious government sidelined him by calling upon Delhi's Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and the army to whip the city into shape.
At the closing ceremony, Mr Kalmadi was booed during his speech. His attempts to thank his party leader, Sonia Gandhi, provoked a disapproving head-shake by Mrs Gandhi.
Since then, Mr Kalmadi has found himself increasingly isolated. In November 2010, Congress axed Suresh Kalmadi as secretary of its Parliamentary Party, earlier this month, he was fired as Chairman of the Organising Committee.
He has refused to quit as President of the Indian Olympic Association. It's in this capacity that he is among the chief organisers of the National Games. The sports event has drawn huge crowds.
But Mr Kalmadi, say those closest to him, is busy consulting with lawyers to work on a post-arrest strategy - should things come to that.