DMK MPs to submit resignations to PM today
PTI
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, MARCH 6
The battle of attrition between DMK and Congress escalated today as signals emerged that both parties appeared headed for a divorce from their seven-year-old alliance ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Six DMK ministers, including two at the Cabinet level, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi tomorrow and handover their resignations in the wake of the party decision after the collapse of talks with the Congress over seat-sharing for the elections.
The DMK, which yesterday decided to pull out its Ministers from the UPA Government at the Centre, today seemingly hardened its stand even not ruling out Left parties joining its alliance.
After an informal meeting with his party leaders, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi hinted to reporters about the possibility of Left parties joining the alliance.
“Yes,” he said when asked whether there was a possibility of Left parties joining the DMK-led alliance.
He also made it clear that there was no contact from Congress leadership with his party after its yesterday’s decision.
To a question, Karunanidhi said the Congress demand for 63 seats over the agreed number of 60 was one of the reasons for the DMK’s decision.
Asked how many seats will his party contest, he said: “You will know it in one or two days.”
In Delhi, highly-placed Congress sources said the party has not yet taken any decision and was keeping “all options” open.
The options included remaining with the DMK, tying up with AIADMK or going it alone in the Assembly polls, the sources said.
“Let the DMK Ministers meet Prime Minister (to submit their resignation)…let us see what happens,” they said.
Earlier, Union Chemicals Minister and Karunanidhi’s son M K Alagiri said in Chennai that his party did not expect the Congress to “come back” for a possible patch up.
“I am happy,” he said when asked over DMK’s decision to pull out from the UPA cabinet of which he is a part. He said Congress’ exit from the alliance will not have any impact on DMK’s poll prospects.
In Delhi, the Congress party also did not appear to be the one to be in a hurry to buckle to what it considers DMK’s pressure tactics.
