July 7, 1982

A special three-judge Federal court ruled yesterday that the New York State election could be held this year under district lines redrawn by the Legislature. Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink, who joined the swarm of lawyers in the courtroom at Foley Square, said that ''as far as we're concerned'' the decision cleared the way for a primary election on Sept. 23 and a general election on Nov. 2. Representative Jonathan B. Bingham of the Bronx, meanwhile, decided to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election. Instead, he said, he will seek the Democratic nomination in a redrawn district that pushes north into Westchester, probably against Representative Mario Biaggi.

The list of dividend meetings in Business Day on Monday was incor- rect. The correct list for this week ap- pears today on page D8.

Three years after toppling the Somoza regime, Nicaragua's Sandinist rulers are engulfed by problems, among them a stagnant economy, armed threats from abroad and a population openly disillusioned with the revolution. Gone is the aura of romance that surrounded the young rebels who seized power and in its place have come tension and frustration. ''They've lost their touch,'' a former supporter said. ''They improvised imaginatively before the revolution, but now they seem locked into slogans.''

After the companies had tried for months to take each other over, the American General Corporation of Houston announced yesterday that it had reached an agreement to acquire the NLT Corporation of Nashville for $46 a share in cash and stock, a transaction valued at $1.5 billion. The announcement capped nearly a week of meetings between officials of the two insurance companies and ended a bidding war that began in April, when American General announced a bid to gain control of NLT and NLT defended itself by announcing a tender offer for American General. While the takeover was described by both American General and NLT as a friendly merger, analysts said that NLT had been outmaneuvered by American General, which is twice its size. American General had mounted a two-pronged strategy: it made a $38-a-share offer late last month for NLT's stock, but also said that it would pay $46 a share if NLT's board endorsed the takeover.

Key members of Congress voiced deep concern today over President Reagan's decision in principle to involve American forces in a peacekeeping role in Beirut. At the same time, strong doubts were raised within the Administration that the plan would ever be put into effect. Administration officials said it was questionable whether the Palestine Liberation Organization, whose approval is needed for the Americans to be sent to Lebanon, would accept the plan now that it has become public. Officials said the premature disclosure of the plan by Israel might make it impossible for Yasir Arafat, the P.L.O. leader, to agree to the American-dominated multinational force.