It was all thanks to the stars, Stupid!

Well now it’s all clear: The Congress-led government won the confidence thanks to the stars! Late on Monday astrologer M Sivagurunathan, and several others, called the election in favour of Manmohan Singh:

“The planet Jupiter is favourably placed in Manmohan Singh’s horoscope. This will protect him against the Saturn and Mars combination, that is in the 10th cuspal point from his ascendant, because of which he is facing this situation,” he told the Times of India.

Obviously!

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Live blogging: Bookies pay $12m for MPs vote

Independent MPs in India’s parliament are having a hard time deciding whether to vote for or against the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. The challenging decision, though, is not related to political principles or beliefs, but its related to picking the best monetary offer.

Newspapers in India and abroad have been reporting all kinds horse trading, but the one that beats them all is the bookies offer to buy MPs vote to help them win their bets.

The Times of India reports that: “bookies — [who ] consider the UPA government as the odds-on favourite to survive the trust vote — have developed huge stakes in the continuance of the UPA government and are going all out to try and fix the outcome of the trust vote.”

The confidence vote in numbers

Reuters has put together a factbox, to help us understand who stands where in the confidence vote, which is expected to take place on Tuesday.

Although there is a massive degree of uncertainty, as both the government and the opposition are fighting to the last minute to secure (or buy) the vote of independent MPs, Reuters’ data gives us an idea of who are the key parties and MPs in a confidence vote that will decide the future of the government.

Six criminals to save UPA government

It seems like Manmohan Singh’s government will need the vote of at least five of six jailed lawmakers to survive.

Six men convicted of crimes such as extortion and murder have a constitutional right in India to take part in the crucial vote of confidence, which could determine the future of the current government coalition.

If the the UPA government fails to secure a majority in parliament early elections will be called and the contentious nuclear deal, which Singh has turned into the landmark of his 4 years in power, would be canned.