Working the numbers

Both legal luminaries,a top BSP leader and a BJP leader met on the Supreme Court premises last week. Pleasantries over,the talk veered to Uttar Pradesh. The BSP leader claimed his party was in a strong position in as many as 45 seats,a claim the BJP leader found grossly exaggerated. The BSP man also claimed the party would win at least five seats outside Uttar Pradesh. However,meeting a foreign delegation in Lucknow 10 days ago,a top aide of BSP supremo Mayawati was more circumspect. Even touching 30 would be a good achievement in existing circumstances,he had admitted.