Political analysts believe that the AIADMK's withdrawal of support to the Government is just a matter of days. The party has 18 members in the Lok Sabha.

The withdrawal announcement was made through a press statement issued in Chennai. The statement said, "the decision is in furtherance of the goal of the party supremo Jayalalitha to speedily ensure that the Indian people are given a political structure that among other things treats all citizens equally, irrespective of religion and caste".

The gist of the elaborate statement made it clear that Jayalalitha was in no mood to continue in the coalition after Vajpayee turned down her demand for removal of defence minister George Fernandes, re-instatement of sacked naval chief Vishnu Bhagwat and a JPC probe into charges madeagainst Fernandes.

Political parties are eagerly awaiting Jayalalitha's arrival in the capital on Monday. She is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav.

The AIADMK's withdrawal from the co-ordination committee of the coalition evoked reactions from political parties on familiar lines. While the BJP described Jayalalitha's action as a dishonest step, the Congress sought to distance itself by saying it had taken note of the development and that it was keeping a close watch on the situation. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha justified the AIADMK action saying it was coming anyway.

There was a rash of political activities in the Capital with leaders like Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Mulayam Singh Yadav lined up to sort out matter in the opposition ranks. Surjeet said there would be no confusion as regards formation of an alternative Government once the BJP-led Government falls. He was confident it was a matter of days before the Government would beout.

Even the INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala took a position on Friday saying his party would oppose the BJP-led Government once the voting takes place in Parliament. BJP has been trying hard to enlist Chautala's support.

Hitting out at Jayalalithya, BJP vice-president JP Mathur said the AIADMK had not yet withdrawn support to the Vajpayee Government apparently because Congress president Sonia Gandhi had yet to have "full faith" in Jayalalitha. Mathur demanded that the Congress president make public any assurance given to Jayalalitha which had made the AIADMK supremo decide to take this stand.

He said one of the main reasons for Jayalalitha's anger with the Vajpayee Government was that the Government did not dismiss the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP, in a statement, said, "The entirely unholy, illogical and burdened with contradictions gang-up that our opponents are trying to forge is nothing but a flagrant and open subversion of the mandate of 1998."

RLM leader Ranjan Prasad Yadav said,"After withdrawing its two ministers from the Vajpayee Government, there would have been no justification (for AIADMK) to continue in the coordination committee."

Speaking to newspersons, Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi reiterated his party would not take any initiative on its own to destabilise the Government. But if it falls because of its own contradictions, the Congress would not fail to discharge its constitutional responsibility.

Hitting out at the BJP, the AIADMK statement signed by its office beareres said the party would persist in its efforts to give the country "a good stable governance...a Government that is both just and effective in the shortest possible time." It said the Vajpayee-led Government was unable to get away from the "the dark shadow of hardliners who sought to take India to medieval period." As a result, "terrorists were getting encouraged and gangs led from overseas were dominating Mumbai."

Claiming that the fate of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu is not the issue now, thestatement said, "The issue is national security, especially the demoralisation of the armed forces through shady treatment of the seniormost officers and denial of best quality Defence equipment."