“We all met with just one agenda — to topple the UPA government during the July 22 trust vote,” declared Mayawati, flanked by Left and UNPA leaders at Naidu’s residence. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat too spoke the same language: “We don’t want this government to stay beyond July 22.” They also agreed to meet on July 23 to chalk out their future strategy.

The UPA was also counting on two JD(U) MPs, including Ram Swarup Prasad (Nalanda) and P P Koya (Lakshadweep), who claimed they would back the ruling combine. Another JD(U) MP, Kunwar Sarvraj Singh from Aonla (UP), was also said to be in touch with the Congress. BJP MP from Balrampur (UP) Brij Bhushan Singh also declared his support for the UPA at a press conference at SP leader Amar Singh’s residence. SP sources claimed that “at least 2 BSP MPs” were negotiating with them.

Bodo MP SK Biswamuthiary’s presence at the Ashok Hotel dinner also lifted UPA morale as did the presence of Brij Bhushan Singh.

There were also reports that some Shiv Sena MPs were negotiating with the Congress. Ruling party sources claimed four to five Sena MPs were in touch with the Congress and there was “some certainty” about two — Parbhani MP Tukaram Ganpatrao Renge Patil and Osmanabad MP Kalpana Ramesh.

But the JD(S) and RLD moves had clearly upset UPA calculations. AICC general secretary Prithviraj Chavan, one of the UPA’s crisis managers, put up a brave front this evening, claiming the ruling combine already had “over 271 MPs” and efforts were on to create a “buffer stock” of MPs which would take the overall figures of the UPA over 280.

... contd.