Tuesday, December 21 2004 16:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress has set up an informal group of three senior leaders, including Union Minister Arjun Singh for holding talks with RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) chief Laloo Prasad on seat sharing for the Assembly polls in Bihar scheduled in February.

Party sources said Harikesh Bahadur, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Bihar, and former Union Minister M L Fotedar were other members of the group who are expected to hold talks with Prasad later this week.

While AICC (All India Congress Committee) leaders have made it known that the party would drive a hard bargain with Prasad, the RJD Chief and Railway Minister has given ample indications that he was not in a mood to concede many seats to Congress.

Prasad had given only four seats to Congress from Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls.

A section of the Congress leaders in Bihar are against any truck with RJD and wanted the party to align with Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP (Lok Janshakti Party).

Another section wanted the Congress high command to ensure a minimum of 80 to 100 of the total 243 seats in the State.

In the two other election-going States, Congress has plans to tie up with JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) in Jharkhand but would go it alone in Haryana in view of its spectacular performance there in the Lok Sabha polls.