M A I N   N E W S

Cong to join coalition govt in Bihar
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, March 23 — The Congress is all set to join a coalition government in Bihar under Chief Minister Rabri Devi with the party high command clearing the plan for the induction of party MLAs into the expansion due to be held shortly.

The party has now got around to accept Mrs Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister while ensuring that technocrats and experts will be taken in as advisers in key ministries and a high-powered coordination committee will supervise the implementation of the common minimum programme, agreed to earlier.

Although the Congress Working Committee had agreed in principle to support the RJD-led coalition government from within, the contours of the plan were drawn up and finalised after the RJD chief, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, had two rounds of meeting with the Congress team.

The Congress team was led by Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Madhavrao Scindia, Dr Manmohan Singh, Mrs Mohsina Kidwai and Mr Ajit Jogi. The final nod was given after Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav met the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi here this afternoon.