Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] will return from South Africa on Friday evening for crucial talks with top party leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images], to solve the crisis for the United Progressive Alliance Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

A meeting of the party core group is scheduled in the evening.

Sonia is also expected to meet Left leaders, a day after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) softened its stance.

Party sources said efforts to defuse the situation could be mounted after her return. The Congress president has cut short her visit, which was earlier planned for four days, by dropping Durban from her itinerary.

With no party is willing to face an immediate election, there is optimism in the Congress circles that this factor could help defuse the situation. Besides, it is learnt that the Left itself is not comfortable facing elections in its bastions, Kerala [Images] and West Bengal.