The TMC has already been fractured, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is reportedly the next, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) is now firmly on the radar following Sunetra Pawar’s recent meeting with the Union Home Minister. Speculation is rife that several NCP (SP) leaders might jump ship to join the rival NCP faction.

Meanwhile, though the Samajwadi Party continues to challenge the BJP, they might find the rug pulled from under their feet before they realize it. Additional support from non-NDA and non-INDIA bloc parties could further swell the government's numbers. The final act of this political drama could see the DMK abstaining from the Lok Sabha vote, effectively lowering the overall house strength and reducing the required majority threshold below 362. One thing is clear: the BJP, alongside its allies, is leaving no stone unturned to secure the numbers.