Bihar stalemate: Lalu, Paswan to meet Sonia

March 01, 2005

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will talk to RJD chief Lalu Yadav and Lok Jan Shakti chief Ram Vilas Paswan in separate meetings today.

Top UPA leaders are also meeting today to discuss the Bihar stalemate.

Paswan, who has emerged as the principal king maker in Bihar after a fractured verdict, had earlier met Bihar Governor Buta Singh and handed over a letter ruling out any support to either RJD or NDA formations.

There are also reports that the upper caste MLAs from LJP are pressurising Ram Vilas Paswan to tie up with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and take outside support from the BJP.

However, Paswan will have to give up his Centre portfolio if he does that.

Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav will also meet Sonia Gandhi as efforts to form a non-NDA government in Bihar gain momentum.

Rabri Devi is also expected to be re-elected as RJD leader in a legislative party meeting in Patna today.