By IANS,
London : Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg may hold the key to power as the election results, as per early exit polls, point to a hung parliament. Clegg faces a painful dilemma – to tango with Labour leader Gordon Brown or shake hands with Conservative leader David Cameron.
In case the Conservatives fail to get an overall majority in the House of Commons, Clegg would be the man who would take a call on who enters No. 10 Downing Street.
The Telegraph reported that Clegg could join a formal coalition with either Brown or Cameron in return for government jobs for him and his senior colleagues. Or he could agree to a “non-aggression pact” in which he supported a minority government run by the largest party.
Clegg has attempted to keep his options open during campaigning by insisting that his commitments were only towards his manifesto pledges of fairer taxes, better education and economic and political reform.
Exit polls released after polling stations closed Thursday evening predicted a hung parliament in which neither of Britain’s two main parties would gain an overall majority.
The exit polls gave the David Cameron-led Conservatives 307 seats, 19 short of an outright majority. The Labour Party would win 255 seats, compared with 356 in 2005, and the Liberals were given 59 seats, remaining behind expectations.
Klegg has repeatedly said that whichever party won “the most votes and seats” had the right to govern, and in turn he would extend support to it.