Markets wait for the end game

Outfielders on centrestage.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi was the only one today to speak out decisively by ruling out his party's participation in the central government on a day when politicians of all stripes kept a low profile and preferred to do their hobnobbing away from the media gaze.

Both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress and its allies held internal meetings as anxiety mounted with hours to go for the results of the 2004 general elections.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  President M Venkaiah Naidu and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh at his residence on the broad strategy to be adopted in the post-poll scenario should the coalition require to form a minority government, party sources said.

NDA Convener George Fernandes is reported to have spoken to Assam leaders late last night and MDMK leader Vaiko.

However, anticipating desertions from its ranks, the DMK held a meeting of its alliance partners in Chennai and announced that it would not be part of the central government and would support it from outside.

The other big hopeful, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who held a meeting with Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Harkishen Singh Surjeet, declared he did not want to be prime minister but would not commit his unreserved support to Congress President Sonia Gandhi either.

By contrast Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav announced he had no problem in supporting Sonia Gandhi.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, betrayed his bargaining stance. "In politics, strength is everything. Decisions will be taken on the basis of respective strengths," he told the Press.

The Congress, meanwhile, watched this new grouping and kept its powder dry. Former Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and Chandra Shekhar met Sonia Gandhi yesterday.

Anil Ambani calls on Sonia

Anil Ambani, vice-chairman of Reliance Industries, met the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, at her residence on Wednesday evening.

Ambani told reporters after his brief meeting that it was a "courtesy call".