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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States 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. 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.   Pawar looks outside for advantage within party At 6 Rakabganj Road, Sharad Pawar's residence, the staff is busy burning the telephone lines. The Maharashtra leader is drumming up support at various levels outside the Congress to gain prominence within the party. The past 24 hours saw Pawar re-establishing contacts with Jayalalitha and Mamata Bannerjee in Delhi. Lyngdoh new Meghalaya CM, Marak bows out United Parliamentary Forum (UPF) leader B B Lyngdoh was sworn-in as Meghalaya Chief Minister by Governor M M Jacob at Raj Bhawan in a simple ceremony yesterday evening after S C Marak, the outgoing chief minister of 12-days-old Congress-led coalition government, submitted his resignation to the Governor.     Row over Tamil bi-weekly hots up   Cabinet reshuffle by next week   Mufti win is vital tonic for state Congress   Kalyan's men want more   Virbhadra prefers Central rule to sitting in opposition   Queen of Hills under vigil as battle rages in Assembly