Clearly in no mood for a rapprochement with the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Sunday asserted that its six Union Ministers would submit their resignations on Monday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi confirmed late Sunday night that there was no further contact with the Congress (I) on the issue. Asked by reporters whether a mere three seats was the reason for the collapse of the talks, he said, “That was also one of the reasons.”
He did not rule out some other parties joining the DMK-led alliance.
Senior party leaders ruled out any attempt on the DMK's part to seek a patch-up and one of them, Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister M.K. Alagiri, expressed happiness over the development.
“I'm happy, aren't you happy?” was Mr. Alagiri's response, when reporters asked his for a comment on the DMK's decision to withdraw its Ministers from the UPA regime. The absence of the Congress, he said, would not affect the DMK's prospects. “It is we who walked out of the alliance,” he noted.
DMK Parliamentary Party leader T.R. Baalu said the Ministers of his party would submit their resignations on Monday, as per the decision made on Saturday by the party's high-power committee.
Talking to reporters at Anna Arivalayam, he said the Congress had not got in touch with the DMK leadership after the party adopted a resolution deciding to quit the Congress-led UPA government and extend only issue-based support to it.
Asked about the possibility of accepting the Congress in the alliance if the party changed its mind, Mr. Baalu said, “I cannot answer hypothetical questions.”
In a sign that the DMK wished to get on with the business of identifying constituencies to be contested by its allies, the party began parleys with the Pattali Makkal Katchi. Emerging from the talks, PMK president G.K. Mani said the meeting was cordial.
Asked whether the party wanted to contest in the constituencies it had won in the 2006 Assembly election, Mr. Mani said it was quite natural for any party to seek to retain its constituencies.
Though he argued that the exit of the Congress would affect the DMK alliance, he expressed the hope that all was not over yet for the alliance.
The AIADMK, which had finalised a seat-sharing agreement with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, headed by actor Vijayakant, is yet to seal a pact with the Left parties.
“We were told to wait till an agreement was reached between the AIADMK and the DMDK. Now it is over and we are not able to understand why there is a delay,” said a senior Left leader involved in the talks.
