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Congress expects defection from Samata, BJD

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

And how will the Congress garner the required number? To be more precise, who all do they expect to win over?

Let's remember that the Opposition won by not a big margin, but by just one -- or at the most two -- vote. But the Congress is confident. Sources indicated that it expected to win over some of the Bharatiya Janata Party's allies.

"Some of the Samata Party and Biju Janata Dal members are restless," they said.

The BJP, for its part, pooh-poohed the claim.

However, the Congress and the BJP both think it possible that the National Conference, which saw a split in voting, may support the alternative government, at least from the outside. Another prop would be the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, though this seems a bit dicey, given the party's antipathy to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo J Jayalalitha.

Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who initiated the toppling of the government, claimed that the new government would have a comfortable majority of 290 members in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the BJP office wore a desolate look Saturday evening. The ever-present media had deserted the headquarters. General secretary Narendra Modi insisted that the country was heading for polls.

"We expect elections soon, may be by June. The Opposition cannot last since they are such a hotch-potch combination," he said.

Modi said his party was stabbed in the back by those it had chosen to depend upon, but warned that the party would gain in the long run.

On the other hand, the Congress office a kilometre away saw celebrations. Firecrackers were burst and sweets distributed. Shouts in praise of Sonia Gandhi rent the air. She later met party workers in a brief appearance.

Gandhi refused to comment. All she would say was that the CWC would make the necessary decisions.

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