DMK to stay out of Govt for now

DMK to stay out of Govt for now, says Karunanidhi. A Raja would represent the party at Manmohan Singh's swearing-in

The DMK, a key pre-poll ally of the Congress, will stay out of the new government at least for now, providing outside support following a deadlock in negotiations with Congress over portfolios.

DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunandhi told reporters before leaving for Chennai with other party leaders this morning that the party has decided to give outside support.

Karunanidhi said the Congress has given a formula on ministerial allocation but he cannot give his views as an individual as the DMK's executive will discuss and decide on the issue after which only the party would say something.

A meeting of the DMK executive has already been convened in Chennai today which will discuss the deadlock in the talks between the party and Congress on ministerial berth allocation. Yesterday after several rounds of discussions in the last two days, the party announced that the Congress formula on ministerial allocation was not acceptable to it and the party would give only outside support.

There are various versions of what the DMK has demanded and what the Congress has agreed to give. Among them are that the party wanted cabinet berths for Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri, daughter Kanimozhi and grand nephew Dayanadhi Maran besides T R Baalu and A Raja apart from ministers of state berths for some others.

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