If it gives away 60 seats to the Congress, which it reportedly is ready to do, the DMK would be left with 122 for itself. If it concedes 63, it will be left with only 119, which is just two over the halfway mark in the 234-member house.
The DMK in a meeting on Saturday passed a resolution to pull its ministers out of the UPA cabinet following a conflict with the Congress over seat-sharing for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu elections. The DMK has called the Congress’ demand to contest 63 out of the 234 constituencies as “unjustified”.
If it gives away 60 seats to the Congress, which it reportedly is ready to do, the DMK would be left with 122 for itself. If it concedes 63, it will be left with only 119, which is just two over the halfway mark in the 234-member house.
In a statement, chief minister M Karunanidhi said that in 2006, the DMK contested 132 seats, the Congress 48, the PMK 31, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 13, and the Communist Party of India 10 seats. With the communist parties parting ways, the additional 23 seats had to be distributed to allies like the VCK, KMK and others. This calculation, he said, would leave the Congress with 51 seats. But since the Congress wanted more seats, he raised the number of seats first to 53, then 55, 58, and finally 60.
“Over the phone, the Congress expressed their demand for 63 seats of their choice. Is it practical for the Congress to demand 63 seats and expect them to be given? The issue will be discussed and a decision will be taken,” the DMK patriarch said.
The DMK decided to withdraw support to the UPA government after failing to reach a satisfactory compromise. DMK leader TR Baalu said DMK ministers had been asked to go to New Delhi and submit their resignations to prime minister Manmohan Singh.
According to DMK leaders, whenever Congress demands were met during seat-sharing discussions, the latter would come up with new ones.
A DMK statement said the Congress demand for 63 seats even after the DMK expressed its readiness to concede 60 showed it was not keen on having it as an ally. “Hence we have decided to pull out,” the statement read.
The Congress was reportedly upset over the DMK’s generous allocation of seats to other mostly smaller parties. It is also significant that the scam-tainted A Raja, who has been the focal point of much embarrassment for the Congress over the 2G scam, is a DMK minister. It was the UPA government’s failure to act much earlier against Raja, apparently because of the pressure exerted by his party, the DMK, which tarnished the reputation of both the parties. As a result, their chances of returning to power in Tamil Nadu have become dented.
There was no immediate reaction from the Congress, which had provided legislative support to the DMK since the came to power in the state in 2006.The Congress, which also gets DMK support in neighbouring Puducherry where it rules, is now left with no major ally in Tamil Nadu. DMK’s Baalu denied that the party decision was linked to the raging spectrum scam, which has led to the resignation and arrest of DMK’s former communications minister A. Raja.
However, Baalu also said that the DMK’s six Union ministers will hand over the resignations only after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and that there is no move to fax their resignations right away. “Definitely we will have a discussion if they (Congress) reconsider. If Congress agrees for 60 seats we will reconsider out decision (to pull out of Cabinet),” Baalu told reporters.
Asked whether it was the end of the road for the seven-year-old DMK-Congress alliance, Baalu replied in the negative. “We are all friends. We do not see the end of the road. Though we have withdrawn ministers our friendship will continue forever.” he said.
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