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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States 21 January 1998   UP Cong "keeps aside" Amethi seat for Sonia The Congress is still optimistic that Sonia Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha polls. Indicative of this hope is the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, which the Congress screening committee released yesterday. The list has cleared candidates for at least 50 seats in UP but Amethi, Rae Bareli and Sultanpur do not figure in the list as these seats have apparently been reserved for Sonia.   EC advances counting date The increasing clamour from political parties to prepone the counting of votes has had its desired effect on the Election Commission (EC). The EC has now revised the counting schedule so that counting will now begin on March 2. The schedule for polls in Jammu and Kashmir is, however, unaltered. Mamata keeps friends, foes guessing on Sonia Mamata Banerjee may already have begun campaigning for her party, the Trinamul Congress, for the Lok Sabha polls. But confusion still prevails over her electoral truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party and her relation with Sonia Gandhi. And with Mamata making contradictory statements on every issue, even her ardent supporters seem to be in the dark about her true stance. BJP-BJD Orissa formula finalised The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have finally struck a seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha polls in Orissa. Under the arrangement, the BJP will field candidates in nine of the 21 seats in Orissa with the BJD claiming the other seats for itself.   First encounter: Kesri, Sonia joint meet today The stage is set for a public reunion between Congress president Sitaram Kesri and the person he views as the biggest threat to his position within the Congress, Sonia Gandhi. Today, for the first time, people will be able to see Sonia and Kesri share the same dias when both will address an election meet scheduled to be held it the city. Net embarrassment: Vajpayee write-up on Muslims Atal Behari Vajpayee's image as a liberal within a party of hardline commumalists has taken a seroius beating, thanks to an article written by him in May 1995 -- and posted recently onto the BJP's website. The article moots ethnic cleansing of Muslims as the way to amalgamate them into the Hindu mainstream. Coming, as it does, on the heels of a statement by BJP leader, Uma Bharati, who averred the BJP's communal stand, the issue is likely to severely hamper the BJP's attempts at grabbing the Muslim vote.     Probe Pilot's flight   All's not well with Swells' ticket   Jakhar may revolt if denied ticket   PM must be born in India, says Singhal   AGP dumps its minister for Mahanta's wife   Wadiyar opts out of poll race   Priyanka shines at Sonia's rally   Nana Patekar carries a brief for Kalmadi   Patel in crisis, to seek trust vote   Petition against CM adjourned   Rath a convenience for this Ram   State asked to step up security measures   Ballot papers being taken for a ride