"The defeat of the statutory resolution does not constitutionally warrant any resignation of the government. The BJP has the moral right to rule even after the defeat of the resolution in parliament," party spokesman Krishan Lal Sharma said.

The spokesman's ostensibly bold remark, however, did not seem to match the rather low morale in the party rank and file who think the government's stock would go further down if the statutory resolution failed to secure passage in the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee himself may offer to quit.

The Prime Minister's crisis management team had begun to work overtime to enlist the support of all allies so that the resolution was not defeated at least in the lower house. The party managersare credited with the view that if the resolution was passed by the Lok Sabha, the government would be able to save its face.

Once the Lok Sabha passed the resolution, it would strengthen the moral resolve of the government to continue in office, BJP circles said, without mincing any word to the effect that the Rabri Devi rule in Bihar was all set to return as the passage of the resolution in the Rajya Sabha was, anyway, impossible given the arithmetic of numbers.

Top BJP leaders were busy persuading TDP leader and Andhra Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu to direct his partymen in Parliament to vote for the resolution. Naidu has thus far stated that his party would not support the imposition of President's rule in Bihar.

There was an apparent change in the TDP attitude on Wednesday. Asked about his party's position vis a vis the resolution on Bihar, the parliamentary party leader of TDP Yerran Naidu said no final decision had been taken yet on the matter.

On its part, the BJP expressed cautiousoptimism when spokesman Kishan Lal Sharma said the "TDP has not yet decided and would do so at the appropriate time".

All attention was slowly focussing on the Congress as regards its move in the current political scenario. The Congress party is believed to have decided in principle that the BJP-led government should go in the Budget session itself and that it was now merely a question of tying the loose ends.

There is still a raging debate in the inner party circles on whether it should go ahead and form an alternative government. While Lok Sabha Congress leader Sharad Pawar and his Rajya Sabha counterpart Manmohan Singh are said to be ready to take the plunge, there is serious hitch among leaders like Arjun Singh, Sitaram Kesri, among others.

Despite some tough talk against the coalition rule in the recent days, even Sonia Gandhi is said to be skeptical about taking over the reins of administration now. She would rather wait for some more time than take a plunge and depend upon the support ofmavericks like Jayalalitha and others.

Meanwhile, the government appeared set to introduce the statutory resolution on Bihar in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. As per present indications, the voting would be held on Friday itself if the government was sure of the allies' support. Otherwise, the voting may take place only next week, affording time for the government for further maneuverings to get the right numbers.

RJD leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Yadav met maximum number of Congress leaders here on Wednesday to convince them that the "communal" BJP must be made to resign in favour of a Congress-led government. He met general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde for a detailed discussion.