Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS): Profit bookings, coupled with the ongoing political turmoil and delay in the passage of a key economic legislation subdued Indian equity markets during the morning trade session on Thursday.

This led a barometer index of the Indian equity markets to trade flat during the morning session, a day after it made healthy gains of nearly 260 points.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was trading flat during the morning session.

Similarly, the wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was flat. It marginally declined by 5.15 points or 0.07 percent at 7,860.80 points.

The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 25,893.84 points, was trading at 25,833.04 points (at 9.50 a.m.) - down 17.26 points or 0.07 percent from the previous day's close at 25,850.30 points.

The Sensex has so far touched a high of 25,922.47 points and a low of 25,833.04 points during the intra-day trade.

The Sensex had closed the previous session on Wednesday, up 259.65 points or 1.01 percent, while the Nifty ended higher by 79.85 points or 1.03 percent.