India awaits verdict

India, the world’s largest democracy, was set to count Saturday millions of votes cast in Lok Sabha elections even as leading political parties continued to hunt for new allies to make up the numbers in a fractured parliament.
While both the Congress and the BJP voiced confidence that they would be the single largest group in the 545-seat Lok Sabha, their strategists began contacting smaller and regional parties that are expected to play a key role in government formation.
In the process, there were signs that the Third Front, made up of the Communists and regional parties, could be cracking up under the weight of the political deals the BJP and the Congress are quietly offering to some of its vulnerable partners.
CPI-M insisted that the Third Front was alive and kicking, despite the dramatic departure of the TRS to the NDA of the BJP. But the Congress dismissed the Third Front with contempt, saying it did not matter in the scheme of things. “There is no Third Front. It was only an idea before the polls. After the polls it will not be a reality,” said Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal.
Amid the political tension that has gripped the Indian capital hours before votes are counted, NCP leader Sharad Pawar declared that he was not in the race to be prime minister in the event the Congress tally slips.
Speaking to Times Now television channel, Pawar distanced himself from colleague and former Lok Sabha speaker P.A Sangma’s appeal that the NCP should ditch the Congress and Pawar should bid for prime ministership. “His appeal is not accepted by NCP. We are part of UPA and our efforts are to form a UPA government.” Pawar said.
Exit polls and projections at the end of staggered five-phase polling Wednesday showed that the Congress could get 145-160 seats in the hung Lok Sabha and be the single largest party, followed by the BJP’s range of 135-157. They said the UPA could bag 185-205 seats and NDA 165-208 seats.
With the Third Front tipped to score around 100 seats, a new government would become near impossible unless two formations gang up or key sections of one alliance decide to prop up another coalition.
With political bargaining intensifying a day ahead of the vote count, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar set the cat among the pigeons by saying he was willing to support any party that would grant his economically-backward state “special status”.
With the NDA bagging the TRS and eyeing the AIADMK, the Congress opened secret channels with AIADMK-ally PMK and actor-politician Chiranjeevi in Andhra Pradesh besides Orissa’s ruling BJD.
Mayawati’s confidant Satish Chandra Mishra meanwhile met CPI-M’s Prakash Karat, who also contacted AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha to keep the Third Front in the contention for power. The BSP fought elections on its own but has been closely aligned with the Left.