The Indian Express The Financial Express Latest News Elections '98 Express Investment Week Market Indicators Screen Express Computers Travel & Tourism Advertisers Forum Information Technology Drumbeat: Ad Buzzaar Astrosurf Eco-India Career India Business Forum Match Maker Express Properties

Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States Wednesday, 11 March, 1998   Atal is half-way there President K R Narayanan went by conventional wisdom yesterday and opted to give the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Atal Behari Vajpayee first chance to form the government. But the BJP's long wait for a second stab at power at the Centre continued with Narayanan wanting to be fully convinced about its ability to "form a stable government which can secure the confidence of the House".   Kesri refuses to go without a CWC berth Congress affairs plunged into familiar chaos yesterday at the crucial Congress Working Committtee meeting with a sulking party president Sitaram Kesri refusing to formally put in his papers as sought by party leaders. In his last hours as president, Kesri is trying to bargain, desperate as he is to stay on in the CWC, at least as a nominated member. Rao seeks time to file reply in Pathak case Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao has sought time from a Delhi court to file a reply on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea to consider as evidence certain documents procured by it from London in the Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case. The matter has been adjourned till April 1. SMC moves ICA on MUL chairmanship Suzuki Motor Corporation has moved the International Council of Arbitration seeking the appointment of its nominee as chairman of Maruti Udyog. The move has taken the government by surprise as Suzuki has recently initiated peace talks to iron out the differences between the two partners.   UF gives guilt trip to Naidu The deadlock in the United Front over adopting a common strategy to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party government continued yesterday, with coalition leaders failing to persuade Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu to give up his "neutrality" on the issue. But the UF's second meeting within the week was not without its dramatic moments. Sport whizkids shine The tricolour has rarely fluttered so proudly on the global sporting arena as Indian sport whizkids Vishwanathan Anand, Sachin Tendulkar, Rupali Repale and Leander Paes were awash with glory. While Paes, Anand and Rupali covered themselves with individual glory, Tendulkar's 155 not out came in a team cause which helped India win the first Test against Australia at Chennai by 179 runs yesterday -- a day when the India `A' team beat Pakistan `A' at Karachi to win the `Test' series.   LEISURE   Heavy taxes sound death knell for Oriya film industry   Beggars turn choosers, extract charity SPORTS   Anand is champion   India spin Australia to doom EXPRESSIONS   The saffron undervest   The little agendas BUSINESS   Banks to stop at par facility   Y2K bug to hit 70% of companies GENERAL   CBI final report in JMM secy's kidnap case soon   NAFED steps in to tackle onion glut, buys for export POLITICS   Pawar looks outside for advantage within party   Lyngdoh new Meghalaya CM, Marak bows out