Ranchi, June 3: The reasons behind the landslide win of the NDA candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls today was, perhaps, most clearly visible last night when the two political camps were busy holding dinners.

If anything was beyond doubt last night was the lack of unity amid the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). They were clearly no unified and happy family that turned up for one big eat-out.

Instead, the allies separated and organised separate dinners to keep their flock together, indicating what was coming the next day.

While Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren threw a dinner party for the UPA leaders in support of party candidate and son Durga Soren at his Morahbadi residence last night, home minister Sudesh Mahato hosted a party for NDA leaders.

However, none of the UPA leaders, other than from JMM, turned up. In fact, one JMM MLA Haru Rajwar also did not attend the party.

On the other hand, RJD leaders arranged a separate dinner in support of its candidate Muktinath Upadhyaya at Hotel Capitol Hill, which was attended by some Independent MLAs like Stephen Marandi and Bandhu Tirkey.

Marandi strongly advocated that Muktinath Upadhyay should not quit under any circumstances, because

Shibu Soren was only interested about promoting ?family business in power politics?.

Some Congress MLAs also held a meeting at the MLA hostel to chalk out a strategy for the yet-to-be-held election.

Even then senior Congress leader and Union minister of state for food processing Subodh Kant Sahay kept on insisting that the impasse among the UPA partners was about to be resolved.

However, as the night progressed it became clear that the contest would remain triangular. ?We tried our best to work out a solution so that unity of the UPA remains intact. We spoke to leaders of both the JMM and RJD to avoid a split in UPA votes,? said Sahay.

The Congress leaders remained the most confused lot with no word coming from the high command.

Earlier in the day, the leaders expected state Congress president Sushila Kerketta, who was in Delhi, to come down to Ranchi with instructions from the top brass.

But neither did Kerketta return to Ranchi nor did any word trickle down from Delhi, leaving the Congressmen in a state of loss.

Shibu Soren said he has not been conveyed anything by the Congress.

?I do not know from where the news has come that the UPA will be ultimately fielding a common candidate. Sonia Gandhi never spoke to me on the issue. Even Laloo Prasad Yadav was convinced that the JMM was the natural claimant of the Rajya Sabha seat. Still, people kept on speculating that Sushila Kerketta would be coming in with a new package. But, I have not received a word from her as yet,? he added, during the dinner that had on its menu pulao, chicken curry, fish fry, tandoori roti, gulab jamun and icecream.

The picture at the Opposition camp was completely different.

Ahead of its victory at the polls, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was in contrast a unified lot who turned up to dine together at home minister Sudesh Mahato?s residence.

The spread was elaborate with pulao, mutton and chicken, fish fry, naan, ice cream, sweets fruit salad and cold drinks.

Earlier yesterday, JD(U) leader Ramesh Singh Munda also arranged a lunch party in support of NDA candidate Digvijay Singh. All invited, which included all leaders from the JD(U) and BJP, turned up. Almost 24 hours and speculations later, the NDA candidate won a landslide victory in the Upper House with 43 votes.

Chief minister Arjun Munda also managed to get the support of the five Independent MLAs Sudesh Mahato, Madhu Koda, Enos Ekka, Hari Narayan Roy and Chandra Prakash Chaudhary.