Saturday, September 10 2005 17:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Yet another UPA (United Progressive Alliance) constituent, NCP (Nationalist Congress Party), today (Sep 10, 2005) came out against any moves to ease out Ramvilas Paswan from the Central coalition.

NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar told reporters that driving Paswan out from the UPA coalition would not be the proper course of action in the event of the LJP (Lok Janasakhti Party) leader contesting the crucial polls in Bihar separately because of local "compulsions".

In bid to affect a patch up between Lalu Prasad and Paswan ahead of assembly polls, he suggested that the issue of Chief Ministership be decided after the polls.

"The Chief Ministership issue should be decided after the polls. Even in the last Lok Sabha polls, the issue of Prime Ministerial candidate was taken up later", he said.

In the last elections held in February, Prasad had remained adamant on making his wife Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister while Paswan had been insisting that a Muslim should head the Government.

Anwar said that formation of any third front in Bihar ahead of polls would only divide the secular votes as it had happened in Jharkhand enabling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) to form the Government.

Observing that no single party was in a position to form a Government, the NCP leader said that in the coming days, a time-bound programme for the state should be made.

He said that NCP leader Sharad Pawar has formed a two-member team comprising Praful Patel and himself to talk to Prasad and Paswan for the polls.

Meanwhile, former Manipur Chief Minister Radha Binod Koijam and five others including two former ministers today joined the NCP in the presence of Anwar.

"It is only the beginning and there are several senior leaders wanting to join the party," Anwar said.