What Congress leaders could not do, the Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Minister Sharad Pawar is hopeful to do.
Pawar said that he will play the role of troubleshooter in United Progressive Alliance to bring together Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan before assembly polls in Bihar.
"NCP wants all UPA partners to fight the assembly election in unison and we will work towards bringing about a rapprochement between Lalu and Paswan in the larger interest of UPA unity and secularism," said Pawar, who was in Patna on Wednesday to attend a meeting of the party's national working committee.
Even after Paswan ruled out alliance with Lalu's RJD in Bihar polls after meeting, Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday, Pawar said he will try to make peace between Paswan and Lalu.
Pawar said there is a need for an early truce between Lalu and Paswan. He said the NCP would try to bring about a rapprochement between the two warring leaders so that the UPA put up a united fight in the upcoming polls.
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.
After Congress general secretary and party incharge of Bihar affairs Digvijay Singh failed in his attempt to bring Paswan and Lalu together, the job is now being handled by Sonia Gandhi herself.
Sonia has given Paswan till September 23 to make up his mind. That is the date when the first phase of polling in Bihar will be notified by the Election Commission and the nomination schedule is announced.
