Delhi Test
24 hours to go and still counting...
UPA bets on desertions, abstentions
New Delhi, July 20
Although it failed to seal a deal with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Ajit Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (S) and reports of further desertions from the Samajwadi Party (SP) continued to be a source of worry, an edgy UPA government is depending on defections and abstentions to bail it out in the crucial trust vote on Tuesday.

Nation page: SP, CPM resort to mud-slinging
Shibu Soren’s wish-list
Rahul to be among UPA speakers

Not the last supper
New Delhi, July 20
Jammed roads outside the posh Ashoka hotel told their own story of the UPA’s show of strength at the Prime Minister’s power dinner today.

Nation page: Bishnoi hogs limelight at NDA dinner

8 BSP MPs will switch sides, says Mulayam
New Delhi, July 20
With desertions in its camp, the Samajwadi Party (SP) today put up a brave front claiming that seven to eight MPs from the BSP would switch sides to vote in support of the UPA government in the Lok Sabha on July 22.

Maya emerges the prime mover
New Delhi, July 20
As the countdown for the July 22 confidence vote began on the eve of the special session of Parliament to determine the strength of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s UPA government in the Lok Sabha, BSP president Mayawati emerged as the prime challenger here today.

SP betraying nation for third time: Karat

(From left): UNPA-Left leaders Prakash Karat, Debabrat Biswas, Mayawati, A.B. Bardhan, Chandrababu Naidu and others, after the luncheon meeting at TDP leader Yerran Naidu’s residence in New Delhi on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Manas Ranjan Bhui

North may tilt the scales in favour of UPA
Chandigarh, July 20
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh may help the Congress-led UPA government to get the July 22 trust vote.

Major, cop killed in gunbattle
Thannamandi (Rajouri), July 20
On the heels of militants blowing up an Army convoy killing at least nine soldiers and injuring at least 20 others at Narbal in Kashmir valley, the militants struck again killing a Major and a head constable of the Special Operation Group of the state police last night at Kunda village, near here.

Grenade attack in Gulmarg claims two lives

Bhagat Puran Singh’s village sets example others can emulate Rajewal( Ludhiana), July 20 A shop without a salesman ! Seems unusual. But this village has one for students. A student wanting to buy a notebook picks it up from the stock lying inside the shop and puts money in a box placed on a table outside the shop door. Students buy notebooks from the Honesty Shop. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan