Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar said it was a "non-performing government" accusing it of demoralising armed forces, neglecting economy and creating insecurity among minorities.

Congress leader Arjun Singh said the result showed the tremendous faith people had in party president Sonia Gandhi and added that the working committee would decide on the formation of the new government.

West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu said he was happy that the "communal BJP government" had gone, while CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said "it is time for other parties to move in the direction of government formation."

Left parties have stated they would give issue-based support from outside toany non-BJP government.

SR Muthiah, leader of AIADMK, said it all happened due to the efforts of its leader J Jayalalitha and the party will decide its future course of action after a meeting of its MPs.

The Orissa Janata Dal hailed the defeat of the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre but warned that any alternative created in alliance with ``corrupt and undependable parties'' would not inspire the confidence of the people. It was the need of the hour that all secular, democratic and progressive forces should come together to fight the forces of communalism and corruption, the twin dangers facing the nation, JD general secretaries Krushna Chandra Patra and Rajendra Prasad Singh said in a statement in Bhubaneswar.

The Telugu Desam party blamed the Congress for the fall of the Vajpayee government at the Centre and charged it (Congress) with playing "manipulative" politics to capture power at any cost. Reacting to the defeat of the confidence vote, TDP spokesman Lal Jan Basha said in Hyderabad thatit was very "unfortunate" that Congress with a meagre 139 Lok Sabha seats "engineered the defeat of the Vajpayee government with a view to grab power."

Tamil Maanila Congress, which broke ranks with its state ally DMK and voted with the Congress in the confidence motion, warned against inclusion of the AIADMK in the alternative government. ``Corrupt elements cannot be allowed to go out of one door and reenter the government though another door'' TMC president GK Moopanar said.