New Delhi: The contours of alliances in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections began to emerge tonight with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) deciding to join hands with Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati ruling out any tie-up with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) indicating it might go it alone.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who met Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh, said he would urge Congress not to align with BSP. "Congress should be wary of BSP which has no principles," he said.

A day after his meeting with Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar said his party was well on its way to a national alliance with the Congress and like-minded parties. In Maharashtra it would have a perfect alliance that would include the RPI as well.

Senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh met Pawar for follow-up discussions while the Congress also decided that its senior minister in Maharashtra Patangrao Kadam would hold talks with NCP leaders on seat-sharing in the State.

Pawar told NDTV 24x7 that the issue of Prime Ministership would not be on the agenda of the anti-NDA alliance before elections. They would follow the Janata Party example in 1977 when no individual was projected as Prime Minister.

"We also do not have to project anyone as our leader," he said, adding the alliance should have a common minimum programme since it was going to promise an alternative to NDA.

Gandhi also said after a meeting with party leaders from the States that a common minimum programme will be finalized for the elections.