Horse trading for the magic number 272.

What will it cost for one side to get an MP to support/oppose the no-confidence bill against the UPA government? Some sources claim Rs. 25 crores, others claim posts of power in the current or proposed government.
In this see-saw battle where both sides have close to the tipping number but still need that wee bit to push them across the finish line, every MP becomes crucial. Or in this case, 3 MPs of the Rashtriya Lok Dal headed by that grizzled veteran Ajit Singh. Chindu reports both these incidents,
first the discussion between Ajit and Bardhan of the CPI and the second, where the UPA government decided to name an airport after all these years after Charan Singh, the father of Ajit Singh. Upon questions from the media about his decision,

the RLD chief said the CPI leader had apprised him of “some new technical facts” about the deal and also the Left stand on it. Before taking any decision, he would discuss the issues raised by Mr. Bardhan with his party colleagues.

We are sure you will Ajit ;)
On the flip side, Digvijay Singh denied that the Congress is taking part in horse trading and invokes the power of Kali maa (sorry Sonia-maa) to defeat the no-confidence motion.

Mr. Singh said the Congress had never compromised on issues related to national interest for parochial political gains.

Mr.Singh let me remind you of a few issues where the Congress bungled like say,

1. Relations with China leading to Indo China War


2. Kashmir issue


3. IPKF


4. Khalistan


5. NAM and international impotence


6. Islamic Terrorism

I wonder what happens in these press conferences.