The fate of 265 seats is sealed - that's almost half the Lok Sabha seats. So, is it time for some course correction by the major political parties and alliances?
Behind closed doors in Delhi, the top managers for the Congress, Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Janardhan Diwedi and Vishwajit Singh are watching the elections closely. Its managers are in constant touch with the Congress troika of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi.
The party is concerned about states where it or the UPA did well last time. In Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Assam, the Congress along with the NCP took 60 of the 96 seats in 2004.
Congress sources broadly estimate that the party could emerge as the single largest from 140 to 160 seats. But it is the alliance partners this time round who may not be able to deliver.
Rahul Gandhi has been a frequent visitor to the Congress war room conferring with the party's strategists all the feedback that has been coming in. The party is confident of emerging as the single largest party and becoming the nucleus in the formation of a secular government at the Centre.
In 2004, the NDA was defeated largely, thanks to the 140 odd seats which voted on Thursday.
Now, the BJP war room managers are optimistic. If the Congress and allies slip in this phase - Advani can be PM.
Here's what the BJP hopes will happen:
- NDA gains in Bihar and Assam
- Largely retains ground in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka
- Congress loses ground in 5 states
The BJP's concern is to retain ground in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh - of the 30 seats that went to poll it had won 21 odd. The overall plan - make some gains. Importantly, wait for Congress to slip - even if regional players gain.
2004 was the best ever performance for the Left. It's going to be difficult to repeat it this time around. But still they want to play kingmakers this time as well.
Repeating its 2004 sweep in Kerala will be difficult, but the Left Front hopes to win at least 11 seats. Its states like Andhra they're watching closely, where the Left is part of the grand alliance with TDP and TRS.
They hope that a non-Congress, non-BJP, alliance emerges as the largest block.
