PM takes stock of Cong's prospects as polling ends

As the last phase of Lok Sabha polls concluded on Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] took stock of Congress' prospects and possibility of getting new allies at a meeting with senior party colleagues in New Delhi [ Images ].
    
Soon after polling came to an end, Singh held a meeting with senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee [ Images ], A K Antony and political secretary to the Congress president Ahmed Patel, at his residence.
    
During the meeting, the leaders discussed the post-poll scenario and getting more political allies for forming the next government, sources said.
    
"We are expecting around 220-225 seats and are sure that automatically we will get new allies," a Congress leader said
after the meeting.
    
Commenting on the Exit polls on TV channels predicting the UPA to be the single-largest alliance, they said, "We are