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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States 30 March 1998   Vajpayee hints at berths for Naidu men Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said talks were on with the Telugu Desam Party to join his coalition ministry and asserted the new government would complete on-going probe into alleged pay-offs in the Bofors gun deal at the earliest. "We will welcome the TDP joining the government and talks are already on in this regard," he told a news conference.   TDP-CPI alliance falls apart The CPI's alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh has come to an end with the TDP choosing to support the BJP-led government, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said yesterday. "We will have to fight him now, we won't be with him, that is all," Bardhan said, in reply to a question whether the CPI would formally sever its ties with the TDP, following its positive vote in Saturday's confidence motion moved by the A B Vajpayee government in the Lok Sabha. TDP minister quits in protest over Naidu's `betrayal' The white knight is facing problems on his turf. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday bailed out the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government at the Centre. But today he faces the minorities wrath with his own minister firing first salvo. The ruling Telugu Desam received a jolt with the lone Muslim Minister Basheeruddin Babukhan resigning from the Naidu Cabinet and a leader of the TDP minority cell. Chautala denies statement on commissions in Meham case Former Haryana Chief Minister and Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) leader Om Prakash Chautala has denied before Delhi high court that he ever made any statement regarding appointment of retired judges as head of commissions. Chautala also denied press reports quoting him saying that the Congress appointed retired judges as heads of such commissions and got reports in its favour by offering them lucrative assignments.   Absence during voting not deliberate: Swamy Janata Party president and MP, Subramanian Swamy, on Sunday clarified that his "absence" at the time of voting for the confidence motion of the BJP government was not "deliberate" but a "misunderstanding". In a statement from Chennai, Swamy said he had expected a "voice vote" to be taken following the TDP's "open support" to the government, as done in the case of the Speaker's election recently. Inert BJP may forfeit Patna seat to resurgent Laloo Winning the Patna Lok Sabha seat never looked like an easy task for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Only, the party has now made it almost impossible. Besides the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate, its nominee C D Thakur will have to overcome a divided party, angry partymen and disorganised electioneering in tomorrow's election.     ABVP leader killed in Madurai, Munnani chief demands probe   AICC seeks all-party tornado relief panel   Defeated Andhra RS candidate to move court   Cong plans to pep up Rajasthan cadre   TNCC renews call for unity of Congress   Punjab session rings hollow without work   Thackeray to stay aloof for at least 3 months