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The Bill replaces the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), which lapses on April eight. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on March 18.
With the AIADMK and the NCP expressing support for the bill and the BSP likely to abstain, those opposing it may add up to around 130 while those in favour are expected to be a little over 100 in the 245-member House.
The Congress on Wednesday issued a three-line whip asking its members to be present in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday and defeat the bill. It is getting in touch with all its members to ensure their presence at the time of voting.
Though party leader Manmohan Singh has not been attending the House owing to ill health, he is likely to be present on Thursday, party sources said.
Anticipating defeat in the Upper House, the government is already preparing for a joint sitting of Parliament on March 26, highly placed sources said.
They said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan has already spoken to some opposition leaders, including Somnath Chatterjee (CPI-M) and Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party) on the issue.
He had also taken up the matter at meetings of the BJP parliamentary party and the Union Cabinet on Tuesday, they added.
Treasury bench managers, however, scotched speculation that the government may try to manipulate numbers in its favour to pass the bill.
The government is confident of getting the bill passed in a joint sitting, in which NDA MPs are likely to add up to nearly 425 in a total strength of around 782.
The government is likely to send a request, for summoning a joint sitting, to the President on the night of March 21 itself, once the bill is rejected in the Rajya Sabha, the sources said.
A joint sitting was last held 24 years ago, they added.
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