Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s dinner diplomacy with the BJP leaders has come a cropper and both the main opposition and Left parties are calling for a debate-vote on the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail. While it is hell bent on denying avoiding such a discussion, the Congress has begun backchannel preparations to muster enough numbers to turn the tables on the opposition in case it is forced to yield their demand.
It is eying about 25 floaters from three opposition parties. Technically, the UPA has enough numbers even if the NDA, Left and the Trinamool come together. It will have a majority of between four and eight more MPs, but it wants to win by at least 20-25 votes. It wants to embarrass the opposition by punching much beyond its parliamentary weight. Thus the party is trying to wean away some rebel MPs from the BJP and Trinamool and JD(U). The Congress estimates that there are about 25 MPs from these three parties who are “vulnerable”. Its floor managers are working overtime to reach these vulnerable MPs over the weekend, just in case they can't avoid the debate-vote.

Adjourned for the second consecutive day on Friday over the retail FDI ruckus, Parliament next assembles on Monday.

The Congress is learnt to be wooing six pro-Yeddyurappa BJP members, four Trinamool MPs who are disgruntled with party supremo Mamata Banerjee, including Kabir Sumon who is an unattached MP now. The other vulnerables include Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Mangani Mandal and Sushil Kumar Singh, all suspended by JD(U).

Jaya Pradha, an unattached MP after being suspended by Samajwadi Party after she stayed in the Amar Singh camp, Inder Singh Namdhari, Raju Shetti and Putul Kumari are also among the members reportedly being wooed. Congress managers would initiate talks with Chandrasekhar Rao of TRS, who has two votes along with actor Vijay Santhi, and Sibu Soren of JMM, which also has two votes, it is learnt.

Insiders now busy with their calculators are expecting UPA’s numbers to go up to 262, including DMK, RJD (with 4 MPs) and JD-S (3), and the figure crosses 300 with the outside support of SP and BSP. But even in a scenario in which DMK, SP and BSP all walk out or abstain in case of a vote, the government can still be certain of support from 244 MPs, an insider pointed out.

For now, the calculators are out, as are the backchannel talks. And both can be expected to work more over the weekend.