The party also expressed concern over the statement of Bihar Governor S S Bhandari pleading for imposition of President's Rule in the state claiming that there was a Constitutional breakdown and that the law and order situation was bad.

Congress also announced that it would support the motion moved by the Rabri Devi ministry seeking confidence of the Assembly. Congress Legislature Party leader Ramashray Prasad Singh told reporters in Patna that his party would issue whip to its MLAs to vote in favour of the motion late tonight following a directive of the party high command.

Referring to the Bihar Reorganisation Bill for creation of a separate state out of Bihar, the CLP leader said his party would not issue any whip.

He said ``party MLAs who favour creation of a separate state have been allowed to vote in favur of the bill those opposedit are permitted to abstain from the voting.''

In New Delhi, the Congress Working Committee held an informal meeting during the day and took stock of the situation in Bihar. The party also authorised the state unit of the party to take a final decision on the voting on the Vananchal resolution in the state Assembly.

Briefing reporters, Congress spokespersons Girija Vyas and Ajit Jogi said the party delegation would impress upon the President that there was no situation in Bihar fullfilling the conditions specified under Article 356 of the Constitution for imposition of President's Rule. The party delegation would consist of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Manmohan Singh, AICC general secretary Madhavrao Scindia, Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha P Shiv Shanker and CWC member Pranab Mukherjee.

They said `the law and order situation in Maharashtra, UP, Rajasthan and Delhi were much worse than Bihar. In Maharashtra where a minister wasbeaten up by his own party colleagues presented a better example of Constitutional breakdown, the spokespersons said.

They said the Bihar governor was speaking like an RSS worker and his public statements were not in tune with the position he was holding.

The party deplored the attempts of the government to dismiss the Bihar government and said the BJP was following double standards. It also expressed concern over the statement of the prime minister that the state government could be dismissed even if it had proved its majority. Such a statement was not expected from the prime minister, they said.

If there was a fit case for imposition of President's Rule, it was in Maharashtra and UP, they said.

Replying to a question they said the Congress remained committed to the formation of Jharkhand state and it was a conscious decision of the party. The party was in constant contact with its Bihar state unit which was authorised to take a final decision on the voting on the Vanachal resolution in theAssembly, they said.