New Delhi: In the first direct contact between government and Team Anna, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday met Arvind Kejriwal and discussed the Lokpal issue in the wake of the Gandhian's indefinite fast.
The first meeting, since the crisis erupted on August 16 following the arrest of the 73-year-old Gandhian, between the two sides took place at the residence of Sandeep Dikshit, MP and son of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Emerging out of the meeting, Khurshid told reporters that "the meeting was an attempt to understand what is happening and I hope something should happen as time is running out....Wanted to understand the reason for their agitation."
Contact should be made at every level, Khurshid said, but maintained that he has not been officially nominated for talks with Team Anna.
However, Kejriwal, a key member of the Tean Anna said the talks with government has 'begun' but maintained that there was no breakthrough.
"He (Khurshid) just called us for a meeting and asked who will come for discussions. I will go to Annaji and ask him, who will go for discussions," Kejriwal said.
The sources said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is recuperating after having undergone a surgery, has been kept in the loop about the developments back home and she could come back by the month end.
Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, a former chief minister of Maharashtra from where Hazare hails, was being speculated in the media as one who could be the government's emissary but sources close to him said he has not been sounded on the subject.
Deshmukh met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in a meeting in the morning in which Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, also from Maharashtra, was present.
Highly placed sources in the Congress said the possibility of appointing any minister officially to talk to Team Anna does not seem likelihood at least for now.
The Congress leadership is hopeful that something will work out towards resolution of the controversy by the end of this week.
The party is pinning hopes for some forward movement after the all-party meeting convened by the Government on Wednesday.
"The main concern as of now is the health of Anna Hazare," a senior party functionary said speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile a party MP speaking on the condition of anonymity said that there is a sense of worry and concern among the young MPs with the development as Hazare's agitation was snowballing into a problem in their constituencies.
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