A cross-section of women councillors in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) told this reporter why they love to hate their MLAs. And the men simply get emotional when they talk about ``them''.

``We don't talk to them,'' say the women. And the men warn: ``Don't talk to us about them.'' The angry women even complained to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit recently about the attitude of their MLAs.

Chandra Makker, councillor from Raghubir Nagar, is furious with Ajay Maken, MLA from Rajouri Garden.

Makker: ``When I was contesting the council elections in 1993, there were three independent candidates in the fray against me. I know who was behind them. They gave me a tough fight but I won anyway. Do you think I will forget a thing like that?''

She does not go to the MLA or the Delhi government for anything. ``My husband is with the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee and he gets the work done in my area. I am not on talking terms with Maken.''

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister is diplomatic.

Maken: ``She is very cooperative.''

Transport Minister Parvez Hashmi, MLA from Okhla, is anything but brief with what he has to say about his councillor from Srinivaspuri, Lata Verma.

Hashmi: ``One of these days I get a feeling that she will be expelled from the party. I don't have to bother about her, because whatever work I want to get done, is done. She has a problem because I don't do it her way. She does not matter anyway, because I take care of south Delhi and New Delhi.''

And Lata Verma does not mince words.

Verma: ``I don't talk to him. But if he interferes in our work, we will interfere in his.'' She explains: ``Two years ago, nobody knew him. It was only because of my work in the area that he got elected. Now, however, there is a lot of misunderstanding between us. He cannot even step into my ward.''

The story is the same in Trilokpuri. Praveen Massey, councillor, is clear about her opinion of Brahm Pal, MLA from Trilokpuri.

Massey: ``He thinks there is no one in the area but him. Well, he's wrong,'' she says. ``He never calls me for any function in the constituency, there is absolutely no interaction. But that does not affect me,'' she concedes.``The point is people know that I have built the parks, the roads and the playgrounds with my own money,'' she emphasises.

A resentful Brahm Pal almost says hey wait a minute.

Brahm Pal: ``I built the roads which now look better than the roads of south Delhi. I have built the parks and done other jobs. But she cannot help but criticise me. It is her nature, I guess. But she cannot talk against anyone like this. She has to stick to party discipline or else face action.''