DMK-Cong deadlock over portfolios continues

The DMK-Congress deadlock showed no signs of resolution and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is all set to leave for Chennai on Friday morning.

Karunanidhi and his entourage will leave for Chennai where they will hold the party’s executive meeting to discuss the breakdown in talks over portfolio allocation for the party in the new government.

Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had discussions till early hours on Friday morning and decided to renegotiate with DMK, Congress sources said.

Gandhi and Singh also made calls to DMK chief M Karunanidhi on late Thursday night in their last ditch attempt to mollify the Dravidian leader.

During the meeting at PM’s residence, the Congress President took stock of the situation after DMK, the third largest pre-poll ally of the ruling coalition, bargained hard for more berths in the Union council of ministers.

There are different versions of how many berths the DMK, which has 18 MPs is demanding, and how many the Congress is willing to give.

The Congress is opposed to the inclusion of T R Baalu and A Raja on grounds of performance and alleged corruption which DMK has sought to contest.

Category: India