NEW DELHI Feb 1 An unending lug of war in India s ruling party is threatening to break up the country's okiesi political entity, casting* a shadow on the future of Prime Minister PV Narasirnha Rao reports AFP

The 73-year old Rao who has a Machiavellian reputation appears set to throw out his arch foe. former mlnbuer Arjun Singh, from the Congress III Party to quell an unpreceden ted rebellion against his leadership

But political pundtls warn ihal the move might reroil on Rar, if the ruling pany fail- to win crucial state elections In Felwuarv and March, whufi are seen as a referendum on the

embattled premier

Il was the Congress rout m elections in two southern slates in December' that sparked Arjun Singhs dra malic resignation from the cabinet and his revolt against Rao who until then had seemed unassailable

Arjun Singh who is known to have prime ministerial am biUons ha» quicklv garnered varying degrees of support in the faction riven Congress, stunning Rao wlio Is also the partv presideni

Newspapers say Arjun , Sin*-ti s sacking would split the 109 year old Congress which spearheaded India s freedom campaign and has ruled the

country almost unmierrupted since independence In 1947

The fac t of the matter Is that a split has already Liken place fin the Congress) the Aslan Age daily said in an edi tonal The legalities are being worked out now

Although Rao still com inands the support of an over wlielmlng majority of Congress MPs he has been rattled bv the '>4 year-old Arjun Singhs challenge as well as continued defiance

Congress sources say tf the party is drubbed in efeciions in the four major of six states that go to the hustings Arjun Suiglt will launch a determined bld lo unseat Ran al least as (XNigress president

Whatever Rao does Is risky one Congress/official "raid If he does not oust Arjun Singh, a parallel power Centre will continue to plague him If he sa ks him. Arjun Singh Is Ijound to become more de lerniined more dangerous

Alter wavering for a month. Rao ordered the suspension of Arjun Single his former de lacto numlx-r two In the gov eminent, on January 24. and is waiting for the latter to reply' io charges of Indiscipline

Congress sources said all this was only a formality

Ihe PM has made up bls mirlcl a party leader said It Is only a mailer of time before Arjun Singh Is shown the

door

A K Anlony a top Congress leader, said In candid• remarks that the- ruling party was facing a major crisis having already lost its traditional support ba^ In pans of the country

I am hoping against hone that there can be an amicable solutions to the (Arjun Singh) problem." he said 1 will op pose Arjun Singh's expulsion )>eause the jssrly workers are against a *[Hlt

If we continue lo fight we (Congress) will be finished, he added

Arjun Singh however con linues a subtle nationwide anil Rao campaign, accusing Ihe prime minister of promoting

rorrujrtlon and failing lo build tip Ihe Congress

The Congress has split twice In the past — first In 1969 when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave a radical economic agenda to Ihe party and in 1978 when whlfr out of jxiwer she again revolted against tlie old guard

Both times. Indira Ga'idhi. who was assassinated it 984 hod the last laugh

Arjun Singh Is not Indira Gandhi dismissed Bhajan Lal. a Rao loyalist and chief minis tei ol the northern slate of Harvana But thr Telegraph daily warned that a third spill ■night sound the death knell lex the congress.