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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States December 31 1997   UF plans common policy declaration to improve upon CMP The United Front will come out with a common policy declaration, which will be an improvement of its Common Minimum Programmes, for the coming general election, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Prakash Karat.   Anything to keep the BJP out: CPI The Communist Party of India (CPI) has decided to keep open its option of either extending or taking support from the Congress after the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in order to keep Bharatiya Janata Party out of power. However, the CPI would not have any alliance with the Congress for the elections. Sena gives in, Thackeray agrees for a 5-year term The Shiv Sena has retracted from its earlier stance that Bal Thackeray was its president for life and told the Election Commission that he would have a five-year tenure while agreeing to amend its constitution to bring inner party democracy. Hegde declines PM's offer to return to JD Foremer Karnataka chief minister has categorically declined the prime minister I K Gujral's offer to join to the Janata Dal. Hegde said anyone who had toiled for the party and had been loyal would naturally get hurt if he was asked to quit the party.   Calamity-hit MP cries for loan waiver Madhya Pradesh has urged the Centre to defer the payment of a loan it had taken from the Government of India to help it deal more effectively with natural calamities following severe resource crunch faced by the state government. Cong or BJP? Shakti looks for power deal Lok Shakti chief and Rajya Sabha member Ramakrishna Hegde has decided to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections, even as the party is still undecided over having a poll pact with either the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).   LEISURE   The culture-capsule: words and voices   Path Breakers SPORTS   Anand qualifies to meet Karpov   Jacques springs a ton as S Africa salvage draw EXPRESSIONS   Crucial watchdogs   Party hopping BUSINESS   GVR faults Govt PSU reform policy   Koreans pull out of American Trac project GENERAL   Massive rail fare hike inevitable   NHRC gets over 30,000 rights abuse complaints POLITICS   Muslim leaders divided over BJP   Bickering over Cong tickets in Rajasthan