Tuesday, March 1 2005 17:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan today (Mar 1, 2005) met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and told her that a new Government could be formed in Bihar taking the help of JDU and anti-RJD and anti-BJP parties or President's rule could be imposed if it did not materialise.

"I said a Government can be formed with Congress Chief Minister, preferably from minority community, in which LJP (Lok Janshakti Party), JDU (Janata Dal United) and other anti-RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and anti-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) parties can participate," Paswan told reporters after the meeting with Gandhi at her residence.

To a question whether a Muslim Chief Minister from RJD was acceptable to him, he rejected the possibility saying "there is no question of either taking support from the Laloo Prasad-led party or lending support to it."

He said if there was any problem in Government formation according to this formula, President's Rule can be imposed for a brief period.

Declining to reveal Gandhi's response to his suggestions, Paswan said that he sought to impress upon the Congress president that her party should not extend support to RJD in Government formation as the "mandate is against RJD".

The LJP leader took the opportunity to remind her of Laloo's attacks against her and her party during campaigning and said the RJD leader was "shamelessly begging" for Congress support in the "garb of secularism".

Paswan said JDU should come out of the BJP-led NDA and help form a secular Government. "Now it is upto JDU to take a decision," he said.

He also said that if there was no possibility of Government formation, the State should be placed under President's rule, may be for six months.

Earlier, soon after reaching the capital, Paswan held talks with senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Arjun Singh before he called on Gandhi.

To a question, the LJP leader said that he was not in the race for chief ministership in Bihar.

He also dismissed suggestions of a compromise formula under which he would take Railway portfolio from Laloo Prasad and in return support RJD in Bihar.