Wednesday, September 7 2005 18:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Stressing the need for an early truce between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today (Sept 7, 2005) said that it would try to bring about a rapprochement between the two warring leaders so that the UPA put up a united fight in the upcoming Bihar Assembly election.

''NCP wants all UPA partners to fight the Assembly election in unison and we will work for bringing about a rapprochement between Lalu and Paswan in the larger interest of UPA unity and secularism,'' NCP president Sharad Pawar told a press conference after a meeting of the party's National Working Committee.

He said that a two-member committee comprising Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and party general secretary Tariq Anwar would hold talks with the 'concerned parties' to resolve the issue.

On Paswan's continued insistence on a Muslim chief minister, Pawar said, ''The leadership question can be addressed later. First, we should have the majority.'' Without naming Lalu Prasad's RJD, the Maharashtra strongman said, ''The NCP is of the view that if any problem arises among coalition partners the larger party has to be generous and accomodative''.

''After the UPA came to power at the Centre there has been two such examples in Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra where the larger party sacrificed chief ministerial chair in the interest of UPA unity and secularism. If the sacrifice we made in Maharashtra inspires anybody I will be happy,'' he said.

Pointing out that his party wanted the UPA allies to fight the election on the basis of a Common Minimum Programme and a common manifesto, Pawar said, ''I hope that the UPA would be able to provide a stable, result-oriented and development-oriented government which works in tandem with the Centre to usher in a new era of development and prosperity.''

Asked who he thought was responsible for the political stalemate that led to the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly as most people blamed Paswan for it, the NCP leader said, ''Since no party or combination had a clear majority no individual can be held responsible.''

When asked to comment on the CPI-M's suggestion to Paswan to either align with the RJD-Congress combine or quit the UPA government and extend outside support to it like the Left, Pawar said, ''I don't believe in excluding anybody. I want the UPA partners together.''

The NCP president refused to specify the number of seats his party would contest saying the two-member team comprising Patel and Anwar would hold seat-sharing talks with secular and like-minded parties.

Asked who the NCP would choose in case there was no rapprochement between Lalu and Paswan, Pawar said, ''At the moment we have a limited view which is that all UPA constituents should come together.''

He said that a five-member team, led by party MP Vasant Chavan, would soon visit Gohana in Haryana where Dalit houses were torched recently and suggest how the party could help in the rehabilitation exercise.

Pawar said that a delegation led by Anwar would move the Election Commission seeking revision in the Bihar election schedule in view of the festive season.