Mumbai: Softening its stance, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today (Dec 25, 2003) indicated its willingness to put the contentious issue of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin on the backburner for the proposed pre-poll electoral truck with the Congress in Maharashtra.

"The NCP can set aside the contentious issue aside, if the alliance on an agreed programme can for formed," NCP president Sharad Pawar told a news conference at the end of the party's two-day brainstorming meeting in Mumbai.

Ruling out any ultimatum of December 31 by his party to Congress for forging a pre-poll alliance, the Maratha strongman said, "Ours is a small party. We can not issue any ultimatum."

It was NCP's view that by this year-end at least a broad alliance of secular parties in the State should be formed, so that in the New Year, preparations should be made for elections, he said referring to the deadline of December 31.

He also disclosed that NCP leadership had held preliminary talks with the Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde over the issue last night. "We met to know each other's thinking and it is a positive step," Pawar said.

The Chief Minister would consult the Congress high command before the second rounds of the talks, he said adding that NCP has formed a core group, to be headed by party spokesman Praful Patel, for the talks.

The party's two-day endeavour was an effort to gear up for the general elections, which could be advanced as per the indications given by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pawar added.