New Delhi: India has decided the face of its next government. Now it's the wait for the results and then the strategy of making friends and keeping them as well. Everyone it seems is fair game for all sides.
The Congress-led UPA is looking for a new term in office while the NDA steered by the BJP is trying to end its term in the Opposition, although it isn't clear if one of them would on their own be able to muster the 272 seats needed to stake claim for power.
The NDA internal assessment is 221. The Congress feels it'll get 205 with its allies. The party core group has thrashed out the post poll options. So, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa, Naveen Patnaik -- they're all in the well and truly in the game and enjoying it.
Congress thinks they will get 169 seats; with allies they hope to reach 205 mark. In 2004, they were at 145 on their own and 219 with allies.
The BJP is hoping for 167 seats. In 2004, they were at 138 on their own and 189 with allies.
In fact, the mood is upbeat in the saffron parivar, the party hopes to make big gains in Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam. The big surprise is BJP's UP assessment. The BJP claims it may get 25 odd seats. Last time it won just 10 seats in UP.
Left expects to get 45 seats, a cut from 59 of 2004. But with allies they hope to have 130 seats between them.
Earlier, an estimated 62 per cent of the electorate on Wednesday exercised their franchise in the fifth and final phase of polling in Lok Sabha elections, bringing down the curtain on the month-long democratic exercise, the longest in the world.
The day saw elections to 86 constituencies across nine states and two Union Territories, including all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.
Counting will be held on May 16.