Is this the end of Arjun Singh's political career?

The non-inclusion of Congress leader Arjun Singh in the Union Cabinet may perhaps mark the end of a long political career that has seen a number of ups and downs barring a surprise change in the party leadership's thinking that could see his entry in the remaining installment of the cabinet expansion.

Singh, who hails from Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh and steered the OBC reservation policy in the higher educational institutions, is also mentioned as a possible candidate for governorship.

Singh's best period in his long political life was obviously from 1980 to 1985 when he ruled Madhya Pradesh as a powerful chief minister.

It was then the Congress bagged all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the undivided Madhya Pradesh in the 1984 polls.

Of course, the fact that the polls were held soon after the assassination of former prime minister, Indira Gandhi did help the Congress but Singh's role cannot be discounted.

Singh has seen tough times and the adage 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going' has been applied to him often.

But now is a different situation when age is not on his side and he has been having health problems.