In Patna, the ruling RJD took out a procession to the historic Gandhi Maidan and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister L K Advani and State Governor S S Bhandari.

Addressing a rally on the occasion, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav termed the recommendation as "undemocratic." CPI (M) too organised a day-long dharna in Patna to protest "misuse" of Article 356. Reports of similar processions and dharnas were received from other parts of Bihar as well.

In Kerala, a 12-hour bandh was observed at the call of CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front while in Tamil Nadu hunderds of activists belonging to four parties, includingcongress, RJD and United Communist Party of India, organised `rail roko' agitation marginally delaying movement of trains.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK and its allies TMC, CPI, CPI (M) today decided to organise a 12-hour bandh on Sept 28 to protest the Centre's recommendation.

In the national capital, Congress, CPI (M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, Forward Bloc and RSP held demonstrations to protest the recommendation.

In Nagaland, the PCC passed resolutions at a protest meeting against the Centre's recommendation while in Assam, the Congress organised a protest meet and hoisted black flags on Assam Pradesh Congress Committee premises. And amid all this, an informal meeting of ministers of the BJP-led coalition was held at the Capital this evening to discuss the Bihar issue even as there was no indication about the President's decision.

Ministers of only two allies, Ramakrishna Hegde of Lok Shakti and MR Janarthanam of AIADMK, attended the meeting.

Defence Minister and Samata Party leader GeorgeFernandes, who came late to attend the meeting, said the state assembly should not be kept under suspended animation in the event of imposition of President's Rule as this would "encourage horse-trading".

Asked to comment on senior BJP leader and HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi's comment that the Union Cabinet would again send back the recommendation to the President if it was returned, Fernandes said ``I do not agree with Joshi.''

In reply to a question whether Bihar was heading for elections, he said ``we should have elections in Bihar.''

Akalis against Art 356

LUCKNOW: Union Food Minister Surjit Singh Barnala today said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was opposed to dismissal of the Rabri Devi government in Bihar by invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. ``I do not think that Article 356 should be used for dismissal of Rabri Devi government in Bihar,'' he told reporters here. ``Our party has always been against the misuse of Article 356 and in fact, it wants that this provision of theconstitution be scrapped,'' he said. When a reporter sought to know why his party did not oppose in the Cabinet meeting the recommendations for imposition of President's Rule on Bihar, Baranala said did not attend the meeting as he was indisposed on that day.