In this election, the number to watch is not the seats the BJP gets - but how many the Congress gets. That will define it as an opposition, says Aditi Phadnis

Advisor to Prime Minister TKA Nair's desk is absolutely clean. Someone who visited him recently saw books have been divided into two lots: one that he obviously wants to take home; and another lot that will remain in the office.



In this day and age, no one keeps anything inciminating on computer hard drives. But some scrubbing is on, nevertheless.



Internally, the political leadership of the Congress has also conceded that the only play they could have is if they get around 100 seats out of 545.

In that situation, there may be a chance for them to support some other formation at the centre. But these theories are trotted out tiredly, pro forma. It is almost -- and you can sense this -- that the fight has gone out of them.



If that is not enough, you have the most significant ally of the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) himself saying that the Congress will be the second largest party after the election!



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