New Delhi: Both the BJP and the Congress are hoping to be the first to get to that figure of 272 for government formation. The clincher for both the UPA and the NDA is to get new allies and the story is the same for the Third Front too, struggling to keep its flock together.
Congress's Jyotiraditya Scindia says, "The BJP has a full stop post 185. Congress will emerge as the single largest party."
This is an optimism borne out of the realisation that the Left may just end up being forced to support a Congress-led government. The Congress is also hopeful of striking deals with AIADMK and BJD while bringing back old allies (LJP and RJD) which are now a part of the Fourth Front.
The BJP though is equally optimistic.
BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "The BJP's present allies and potential allies are doing well."
Already BJP's star campaigner, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is camping in the Capital - his brief to ensure that AIADMK support can be counted upon. Talks have already been initiated with BSP's Mayawati. The party hopes to be ahead of the Congress as early as May 17 in the hunt for allies. They have also not given up hope on bringing back Naveen Patnaik and the BJD into their fold.
But it's the Third Front that has the most to be worried. A picture of Kumaraswamy hiding his face while going to meet Sonia Gandhi secretly dealt a body blow to the Third Front as well as Jayalalithaa making it clear that she is keeping all options open.
All of this is leading to an edge of the seat thriller, which will build into a climax on May 16.
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