Giving a broad hint to this effect here on Tuesday, AICC observer Syed Ammar Rizvi told reporters that a decision on the proposed tie-up would be taken in a week after considering views of all sections of party workers and leaders.

He said he had held talks with around 40 Congress leaders and the trend that had emerged so far was rather mixed. While some favoured only an electoral tie-up, many suggested an outright merger. Some others had reservations about both these moves. Rizvi has not met any RJP leader so far.

The AICC observer was also doing some spadework on possible candidates for the next Lok Sabha elections in the State. This exercise is independent of observers to the State who will come later. He said the candidates would be finalised by the middle of July. Rizvi said the sitting MPs could be repeated provided there were no complaints against their performance and the high command agreed to field them again.

When asked about former Chief Minister Chhabildas Mehta's letter circulated among members of the Janata Dal(G) group in the State, Rizvi said Mehta had only expressed his views and there was no reason to get scared because of that. He denied that Sharad Pawar could cash in on such dissidence in the party unit.

Rizvi said the Goa Assembly election results had proved the growing confidence of the people in the Congress and this victory would boost the morale of Congress workers.