With less than 24 hours to go for the counting of votes to start for the Uttarakhand Assembly, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party is bracing to form the next government in the state.

The ruling Congress is keeping its fingers crossed and hoping for a hung House that would give it a chance to form a coalition government.

Anticipating a shift in the voter’s preference, the BJP leadership expects to reach the magic figure of 36 seats out of a total 69 where polling was held on February 21.The party is banking on the anti-incumbency factor and also on the inflationary pressure on essential commodities. A record 62 per cent polling has also added to their confidence.

The two top contenders for the chief minister’s post — former Union minister BC Khanduri and former chief minister and state BJP chief Bhagat Singh Koshiyari — are already camping in New Delhi to stake their claims.

Khanduri is a favourite of the party top brass, including former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Koshiyari, a former pracharak, has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

“I am not giving up my claim but the final decision rests with the party,” Koshiyari had said before leaving for New Delhi. According to party sources, he met senior party leaders yesterday and staked his claim for the top post.

Congress, on the other hand, hopes for a hung Assembly so that it can form a ruling coalition along with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Independents.

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