New Delhi: Union Science and Technology Minister and former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has been appointed by the Government to negotiate with Anna Hazare and his associates. The decision to appoint Deshmukh to start talks with Team Anna was taken after he met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister andf Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday.
Deshmukh has had the experience of dealing with Hazare during his stint as Maharashtra's chief minister.

The Government is also discussing various other options to break the Lokpal deadlock.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called an-all party meet on Wednesday at 3:30 PM and sources say that the Centre may also bring the prime minister's post under the ambit of the Lokpal.
At the all-party meet the Government will try to get the Opposition parties to support the idea that Team Anna cannot be allowed to bypass Parliament on the Lokpal issue.
Parliament Standing Committee Chairman and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has also met Singh to consider taking up the Team Anna's version of the anti-corruption bill called the Jan Lokpal Bill and to expedite the committee's proceedings.
Sources say that the Jan Lokpal Bill could be brought before the Standing Committee as an attachment to the Government's bill. Sources add that the Standing Committee could be requested to complete its proceeding within two months.
A special session of Parliament could then be called if needed to debate and pass the bill.