<p> The DMK also announced that it would quit the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre and offer it “only issue-based support” from outside. <br /><br />The DMK’s decision came at a high-level party meeting here chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. However, the party on Saturday night indicated that an electoral pact with the Congress could still be worked out directly if that party negotiates with Karunanidhi.<br /><br />The DMK joined the UPA-2 Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May 2009. While the DMK’s A Raja resigned from the Union Cabinet as telecom minister in November last in the wake of the “2G” spectrum allocation scam, the remaining six ministers from the party may follow suit soon. <br /><br />“Despite our latest best offer of 60 Assembly seats to the Congress, it suddenly hiked its demand to 63 seats on Friday night. The Congress was also firm on choosing the constituencies it will contest. This attitude of the Congress failed to resolve the impasse and clearly showed that it was not keen on continuing in the alliance,” the DMK said in a five-page resolution, adopted at an emergency 90-minute meeting at party headquarters. <br /><br />“Under these circumstances, the DMK no longer wishes to be part of the Centre and has decided to withdraw its ministers; and offer it only issue-based support from outside,” the resolution declared. With this, the DMK snapped its political ties with the Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, forged before the 2004 general election “to protect the country’s unity, integrity and secularism.” <br /><br />Falling in line<br /><br />The DMK ministers who will send in their papers include Fertilisers and Chemicals Minister and Karunanidhi’s elder son M K Alagiri and Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran, both of whom also participated in Saturday’s meeting. <br /><br />Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan and Kanimozhi, MP, were also present. Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickkam, Minister of State for Social Justice Napoleon, Minister of State for I and B Jagathrakshakan and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S Gandhiselvan will also resign from the Central ministry. <br /><br />There were three rounds of seat-sharing talks between the two parties on Friday. The Congress team was headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, and the DMK by Stalin. <br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee had this time demanded more Assembly seats than the 48 seats of the 234 seats given by the DMK in 2006. <br /><br />Poll truck<br /><br />The Congress was piqued that the DMK had quickly entered into seat-sharing pacts with much smaller parties like the Pattali Makkal Katchi (31 seats), a fledgling caste outfit, Kongunaadu Munnetra Kazhagam (7), Dalit Panthers of India (10) and the IUML (3), even before the number of seats for it could be finalised.<br /><br />The TNCC gave a list of 90 seats initially but was willing to settle for 60-odd seats. The third rounds of talks between the two parties, attended by All India Congress Committee General Secretary Gulam Nabi Azad, looked like breaking the deadlock with M K Stalin and Kanimozhi having discussions with the Congress top brass. <br /><br />But when the Congress hiked its demand on Friday night, Karunanidhi hit back saying that its “surprising and shocking stance” had to be deliberated upon by the DMK’s high-power committee on Saturday. <br /><br />Sources said Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee earlier had tried in vain to prevail upon the DMK to “be a little patient.”</p>
<p> The DMK also announced that it would quit the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre and offer it “only issue-based support” from outside. <br /><br />The DMK’s decision came at a high-level party meeting here chaired by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. However, the party on Saturday night indicated that an electoral pact with the Congress could still be worked out directly if that party negotiates with Karunanidhi.<br /><br />The DMK joined the UPA-2 Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in May 2009. While the DMK’s A Raja resigned from the Union Cabinet as telecom minister in November last in the wake of the “2G” spectrum allocation scam, the remaining six ministers from the party may follow suit soon. <br /><br />“Despite our latest best offer of 60 Assembly seats to the Congress, it suddenly hiked its demand to 63 seats on Friday night. The Congress was also firm on choosing the constituencies it will contest. This attitude of the Congress failed to resolve the impasse and clearly showed that it was not keen on continuing in the alliance,” the DMK said in a five-page resolution, adopted at an emergency 90-minute meeting at party headquarters. <br /><br />“Under these circumstances, the DMK no longer wishes to be part of the Centre and has decided to withdraw its ministers; and offer it only issue-based support from outside,” the resolution declared. With this, the DMK snapped its political ties with the Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi, forged before the 2004 general election “to protect the country’s unity, integrity and secularism.” <br /><br />Falling in line<br /><br />The DMK ministers who will send in their papers include Fertilisers and Chemicals Minister and Karunanidhi’s elder son M K Alagiri and Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran, both of whom also participated in Saturday’s meeting. <br /><br />Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan and Kanimozhi, MP, were also present. Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickkam, Minister of State for Social Justice Napoleon, Minister of State for I and B Jagathrakshakan and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S Gandhiselvan will also resign from the Central ministry. <br /><br />There were three rounds of seat-sharing talks between the two parties on Friday. The Congress team was headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, and the DMK by Stalin. <br /><br />The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee had this time demanded more Assembly seats than the 48 seats of the 234 seats given by the DMK in 2006. <br /><br />Poll truck<br /><br />The Congress was piqued that the DMK had quickly entered into seat-sharing pacts with much smaller parties like the Pattali Makkal Katchi (31 seats), a fledgling caste outfit, Kongunaadu Munnetra Kazhagam (7), Dalit Panthers of India (10) and the IUML (3), even before the number of seats for it could be finalised.<br /><br />The TNCC gave a list of 90 seats initially but was willing to settle for 60-odd seats. The third rounds of talks between the two parties, attended by All India Congress Committee General Secretary Gulam Nabi Azad, looked like breaking the deadlock with M K Stalin and Kanimozhi having discussions with the Congress top brass. <br /><br />But when the Congress hiked its demand on Friday night, Karunanidhi hit back saying that its “surprising and shocking stance” had to be deliberated upon by the DMK’s high-power committee on Saturday. <br /><br />Sources said Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee earlier had tried in vain to prevail upon the DMK to “be a little patient.”</p>
