New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the opposition were desperately counting their numbers Monday as the debate on the trust vote began with no indication on who would emerge winner. In a race that would go down to the finishing line, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government could bank on 266 votes in a house of 542 — six short of the magic figure of 272.

The opposition — comprising the Left parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) — seemed to have an edge with 269 votes in its bank.

In this game for survival, the ruling coalition, fighting with its back to the wall over its insistence on going ahead with the India-US nuclear deal, was hoping to win over six undecided MPs to its side.

Here is how the numbers added up:

(Total Lok Sabha seats 545, two seats vacant, one MP barred from voting, total effective strength 542, midway mark 271.)

For the UPA:

Congress - 153
SP - 34
RJD - 24
DMK - 16
NCP - 11
PMK - 6
JMM - 5
LJP - 4
MDMK - 2 (Dissidents)
PDP - 1
Muslim League - 1
RPI - 1
SDF - 1
TRS (A. Narendra) - 1
NLP - 1
BNP - 1
KC - 1
AIMIM - 1
NC - 2

Total - 266

What the UPA is banking on (to either abstain or switch in its favour)

NPF - 1
MNF - 1
TMC - 1
Independents - 3

Total - 6

National Democratic Alliance

BJP - 130
Shiv Sena -12
BJD - 11
JD(U) - 8
SAD - 8
Independent- 1

Total - 170

Left

CPI-M - 42 (Excluding Speaker Somnath Chatterjee)
CPI - 10
AIFB - 3
RSP - 3
Independent - 1 (Sebastian Paul)

Total - 59

UNPA

TDP - 5
AGP - 2
Independent - 1

Total - 8

Others

MDMK - 2
BSP - 17
TRS - 2
SP - 5 (Dissidents)
RLD - 3
JD-S - 3

Total- 32