The talks would be held before the presidium meeting scheduled for September 11 at Mumbai, he added. Though Ambedkar has announced an election programme on his own and convened a meeting on September 13 at Nanded, Athawle said he would urge him to attend the presidium meeting on September 11 to sort out differences on the issue. He also expressed optimism that the differences over the RPI president's election would blow over soon. Athawle said if the stalemate continues, he has evolved a formula that a candidate outside the presidium or Maharashtra could be roped in for the RPI's highest office.

Athawle, who has already thrown his hat in the ring for the top post, told a press conference here that it would harm the party interest if Ambedkar went ahead with his election programme andtwo separate poll results were sent to the Election Commission.

In a lighter vein, he suggested a one-year term for the president which will give an opportunity to all the aspiring candidates in the RPI to hold the post.

``If all the efforts of keeping RPI united fail, we will go to the masses to place before them the facts'', he asserted.