Cong sees more parties in UPA fold

As the countdown for the presidential poll begins, a confident United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is looking forward to not only a landslide victory for its nominee Pratibha Patil but also the post-election scenario where more regional parties are likely to come into its fold.

"We are happy to see the secular umbrella expanding,'' said I&B Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, who led the Congress' crisis management team after the BJP's unexpected mudslinging against Patil. Careful not to sound boisterous, Dasmunshi said, "We are winning and winning with an unexpected margin.''

At the end of an unprecedented bitter campaign, the party feels it stands to gain in the long run. While HD Deve Gowda-headed JD(S) in Karnataka decided to break away from the NDA in the election, the National Conference announced support to Patil. The Trinamool Congress and the Asom Gana Parishad have decided to abstain.

Party sources say Sonia Gandhi's dinner party for MPs from the UPA and its allies saw a lot of bonhomie. Party leaders are confident that the presidential campaign has started the process of disintegration of the NDA, with its key constituents like the Shiv Sena, along with some Third Front parties, severing ties.

"These differences will only grow and we expect more parties into the secular fold in the coming days,'' senior AICC leader remarked.