Thursday, September 8 2005 11:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: With the unity of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) threatened in the coming Bihar polls, Congress President Sonia Gandhi would be interacting with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad in a day or two on the future course of action.

Highly placed party sources said Gandhi, who is also the UPA Chairperson, could be having talks with other leaders of the alliance parties on the issue.

Gandhi had a meeting with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan who remained defiant on not having any truck with RJD and the Congress giving him a deadline of September 23 to finally decide the issue.

Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, whose party is aligning with the RJD-led UPA in Bihar, has made it plain to Paswan that if he failed to be with the alliance in the state, he would forfeit his right to be in the UPA at the Centre.

Congress has time and again said it was for Gandhi as UPA Chairperson to take a decision on Paswan's continuance in UPA if he failed to fall in line.

With elections to Tamil Nadu Assembly also approaching fast and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam (AIADMK) reportedly making efforts to wean away some constituents of the UPA in the State to its side, Congress is cautious about taking any decision on the Paswan issue.