“There’s a complete failure of leadership in Government. The sooner this Government goes, the better it is for us,” said party general secretary Arun Jaitley, after a meeting of NDA chief ministers and senior leaders at prime ministerial candidate L K Advani’s residence. “Rising prices and internal security are the prominent issues in addition to the nuclear deal.”

A couple of days ago, when the numbers game was seen to be favouring the UPA, the BJP-led alliance had kept its opposition low-key. With the trust vote threatening to become a touch-and-go affair, the saffron party does not want to appear losing the initiative to the Left, a reason that explains the sudden spring in its strides.

“The country is exasperated with the UPA. We regret that the office of the Prime Minister and the continuation of this Government is being reduced to a bargaining counter,” said Jaitley.

In the event of the Government falling during the trust vote, the BJP will, however, not attempt to form an alternative government. “We will go back to the people,” said Venkaiah Naidu earlier at the party headquarters.