Oct. 10: The big fight over who will lead the next government in Arunachal Pradesh began even as the Congress inched towards the magic figure of 31 in the 60-member Assembly.

Of the 43 results that were declared today, the Congress won 22. With the three seats it won unopposed, the party is just six short of a majority.

Both Gegong Apang, the outgoing chief minister, and his predecessor and PCC chief Mukut Mithi staked claim to the hot seat.

The two leaders were closeted with their loyalists for the better part of the day to chalk out their strategies for the Congress Legislature Party meeting, which is likely to be held on Tuesday.

The second phase of results will be declared tomorrow.

The BJP increased its tally from nil in the last Assembly elections to six. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won two and the Arunachal Congress a lone seat.

As was expected, the Independents ? most of them rebel Congress candidates ? emerged as the second largest bloc after the Congress, with 12 members.

Buoyed by the outcome, the Congress tonight said it was a string of victories for the party under the stewardship of Sonia Gandhi which began on May 13 with the Lok Sabha polls, added a PTI report.

?We are happy with the outcome of the Assembly results in Arunachal Pradesh. This is a part of continuing victories of the party from 13th May, 2004, in Lok Sabha polls through Arunachal Pradesh and on to Maharashtra,? party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said in New Delhi.

Many of the Independents have started contacting Congress leaders for their ?homecoming?, as the possibility of an anti-Congress coalition appeared bleak.

A senior Arunachal Congress leader, Domin Loya, said from Itanagar that since most of the Independent legislators owe their allegiance to either Apang or Mithi, there was very little chance that an anti-Congress coalition would be cobbled together.

The Opposition is now pinning its hopes on the tug-of-war between Apang and Mithi.

?There will be an internal fight as the Congress is a divided house. That will ultimately spell doom for the party. This government will be unstable,? predicted BJP leader Tapir Gao.

PCC president Mukut Mithi also harped on the stability factor and said the main aim of the party, while electing its CLP leader, would be to provide a stable government.

A Congress insider said most of the Mithi loyalists, belonging to the group of 18 who had not joined Apang in toppling his rival?s government, have lost the elections. As a result, Apang has an edge over the PCC president in the numbers game.

Mithi was banking on his ?loyalty? to the party high command but now he himself admits that ?the more crucial factor would be stability?.