NEW DELHI, June 21: Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav's refusal to quit his chair in the wake of the Governor's sanction for his prosecution in the fodder scam is causing tremors in the United Front Government.

Even though the UF leaders would like to see Laloo out, they can do very little about it.

``The issue has become like an albatross around our neck,'' said a senior Janata Dal leader, ``The Union Government has not been able to muster enough courage to ask Laloo to step down. It has only been dropping hints, to no avail.''

In order to find a way out of the impasse, Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral last night convened a meeting of Union ministers belonging to the Janata Dal.

The entire team of ministers belonging to the Janata Dal -- including newly-inducted women ministers Kamla Sinha and Ratnamala Savanoor -- was present at the meeting, held against the backdrop of the fast-snowballing crisis in Bihar.

Laloo-loyalists from Bihar, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Kanti Singh and Jai Narain Nishad were also present.

The exercise is likely to be continued tonight at Union Railways Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's official residence where all senior party leaders, except the three dramatis personae -- Prime Minister Gujral, Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav and his challenger Sharad Yadav -- are likely to meet over dinner.

But the Dal leaders have already voiced their scepticism about the entire exercise. ``Like the meeting held about a fortnight back at Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Madhu Dandavate's residence, tonight's peace talks are also likely to be a damp squib,'' said a senior leader, candidly.

According to him, the party was split vertically. ``It only needs to formalised by someone,'' he lamented.

At last night's meeting held at Gujral's official residence -- 7, Race Course Road -- there was unanimity on the point that Laloo should be persuaded to step down in the interests of the party.

It was also agreed that the beleaguered Chief Minister should be given an honourable exit, and therein lay the rub.

While supporters of Sharad Yadav were prepared to allow Laloo to appoint a successor of his choice and nothing more, Laloo loyalists wanted the leaders to let him remain as party chief for some more time, a condition not agreeable to the Sharad camp.

With the two sides unwilling to yield any ground, it is difficult for the party to wriggle out of the crisis. Dandavate and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy, the two observers appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the party presidential election by July 3, will, meanwhile, hold discussions tomorrow to discuss the fallout of the court's order.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.