Patel told reporters here during an informal chat that whatever be the decision, the party high command would heed the GPCC advice on the issue. He said he and CLP leader Amarsinh Chaudhary held long range discussion with Sonia who "was satisfied with the progress and had given us free hand for further negotiations".

Though Wagheladiscounts possibility of merger during talks, Congress circles have expressed a feeling that any negotiation on electoral adjustment or allotment of party symbol was destined to fail if merger did not find place in the meeting agenda. The next meeting is slated after June 20.

RJP workers in large numbers have started joining the Congress. According to party sources, about 240 party workers and some prominent leaders joined the Congress in Banaskantha district and around 300 in Vadodara district.On the other hand, Shankersinh Vaghela is still in sixes and sevens over the merger issue and the first thing he did after coming from Delhi was negating his colleague Madhusudan Mistry's categorical denial of any possibility of merger with the Congress.

But seeking to show that he was not as keen on merger as the Congress, he said his party was under pressure from senior Congress leaders in Delhi for merger. "The central Congress leadership is eager to see that RJP merged with the Congress," Vaghela admittedsaying that he had told the Congress high command leaders that he was not in favour of considering its proposal."Yet again, he avoided a direct reply to a leading question on the issue and said the issue would be discussed at the RJP's Gujarat Working Committee meeting on June 19 and its All India Working Committee meeting the next day. He said he had to consult his colleagues on any point on this subject before coming to any final decision. The Working Committee meetings have been called to ascertain the party workers' views, Vaghela said.

A rattled BJP has asserted that the two parties' merger would not have any adverse effect on BJP's poll prospects in the Gujarat. Party spokesman Bharat Pandya said that the people had enough experience of corrupt governments run by both RJP and Congress. The BJP has taken a number of pro-poor measures during its rule and so the people will elect BJP once again.

Pandya called the proposed alliance as "made for each other". He justified this by saying that while Waghelahad brought down Keshubhai Patel government, Sonia was instrumental in the fall of Vajpayee government.Pandya also dared Vaghela and C D Patel to contest election on their respective party symbols.