NEW DELHI, DEC 2: President K R Narayanan indicated to all political leaders who met him today that he is no hurry to dissolve the Lok Sabha and call a mid-term poll.

Although at a public function yesterday he had talked of elections resolving crises in the past, he continued to stress to political parties in private discussions today to put their heads together to find a viable solution to the current deadlock.

His main fear, according to those who have met him over the past few days, is that if a mid-term poll throws up another hung Parliament, the present crisis may repeat itself. The nation cannot afford the cost of expensive elections in rapid succession, he is understood to have told the political leadership. Narayanan's visitor's list today included Prime Minister I K Gujral, Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Attorney General Ashok Desai, Congress president Sitaram Kesri and United Front convenor Chandrababu Naidu.

Despite the President's reluctance to call a snap poll, he may ultimately have no option given the failure of the political class to arrive at a compromise. A large part of his consultations over the past several days has therefore centred around the constitutional implications of the Gujral Government's abrupt resignation.

His primary dilemma seems to be whether or not he can dissolve the Lok Sabha without the mandatory Cabinet resolution. Legal experts he has consulted, including Ashok Desai and Soli Sorabjee, are believed to have told him that Article 85 (2) of the Constitution gives him the necessary powers provided he has satisfied himself that no government is possible and the Lok Sabha cannot function any more. A government minister pointed out that if so required, the Cabinet could even meet and pass a resolution advising dissolution.

Another problem that appears to have arisen is the supplementary demand for grants which were to be approved by the Lok Sabha in the aborted winter session.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.