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New Delhi: Tall claims by the ruling Congress party notwithstanding, the floor test next week could turn out to be a close affair.
The independents and smaller parties, numbering about 24 lawmakers, hold the key to the survival of the Manmohan Singh government with those set to vote against the government enjoying a clear edge at this stage.
As of Tuesday, the ruling coalition had the confirmed support of only 257 lawmakers while those opposed to the government could count 261 on their side.
This has, however, not deterred the Congress party which yesterday claimed to enjoy the support of 280 lawmakers. "We are comfortable and confident. There is no need to fight for survival," said senior party leader Veerappa Moily.
The ruling coalition would require the support of at least 272 lawmakers to survive the trust vote necessitated by the July 8 withdrawal of support by the Left parties on the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal.
Minor jolt
The Congress party got a minor jolt when the Shiromani Akali Dal, which rules the northern state of Punjab, announced its eight lawmakers would vote against the government.
The Congress party was hoping that the Akalis, a party of the Sikhs, would not vote out a fellow Sikh, Manmohan Singh.
The National Conference of Jammu and Kashmir may also not come to the rescue of the Congress party keeping in mind the October elections in the state, where it will lock horns with the Congress to return to power.
National Conference which has two lawmakers including its president Omar Abdullah, has deferred the final decision with Abdullah indicating that his party may abstain from voting.
"This is not whether we are in favour of the nuclear deal or opposed to it. It is whether we vote for the [ruling] UPA or against it," Abdullah said after his party's meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday. He has been authorised to take the final call on this matter.
The Congress party's attempts to rope in the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which have three lawmakers each, have also failed due to different reasons.
While the RLD may vote against the government, the JD (S) will take a final decision on this issue on Friday, with indications that the party might eventually vote against the government to prevent a split following the statement of one of its MPs that he would oppose the government.
The six independents have come together for better bargaining. Unlike in the past when the ruling party could survive by indulging in horse-trading, the independents have their own demands, which the Congress party is unable to meet.
Two of them, for example, want separate states - Ladakh to be carved out of Jammu and Kashmir and Bodoland by bifurcating Assam.
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