For UPA, it's all about the numbers now

NUMBERS GAME: Support is likely to come from many small parties for the UPA.

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Keywords: Floor Test, Left

New Delhi: It is all about numbers now and here is how the UPA is planning to go about its floor test in the wake of the Left pulling out support over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The UPA's assured support is 225 MPs. Add to this 37 of the SP - there were two crucial absentees on Thursday, so SP might not be able to bring in their whole quota of 39 - and three MPs of RLD.

Deve Gowda's JD(S) is going to chip in with two more to the tally. The total of this comes to 267 and this is what is assured till now.

There is a very strong likelihood category, which includes three independents and one MP each from MNF, SDF, NLP as well as two from National Conference.

Add this to 269, and UPA manages to reach a safe 275 - above the halfway mark of 272, which they need to prove majority.

Luck might just favour the coalition if eight Akali Dal members decide to join in. Support may also come from the lone MP of Trinamool Congress and the single MP of BNP.

TRS might also chip in with three MPs. This means that in the best of circumstances, the Government may get close to 288 or even more.

But in this number game who is playing what role?

• Pranab Mukherjee and Rahul Gandhi are talking to Omar Abdullah of National Conference.
• Sharad Pawar talking to TRS' Chandrashekhar Rao.
• Sonia Gandhi and Digvijay Singh talking to Ajit Singh of the RLD.
• Ghulam Nabi Azad and Vyalar Ravi are talking to smaller minority parties like MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and E Ahmed of the Indian Union Muslim League.
• Lalu Prasad, Ahmed Patel and Pranab Mukherjee are talking to all the Independents.