Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
New Delhi, May 21 2009:
Government formation tonight got into trouble with key ally DMK refusing to join the Ministry after talks with Congress on portfolio allocation were deadlocked on the eve of swearing in of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister for a second consecutive term.
Reminiscent of the scenes witnessed on the eve of Government formation in 2004, the DMK announced that it was not agreeable to Congress "formula" on Ministerial allocation and would extend outside support.
DMK leaders, including party chief M Karunanidhi, are returning to Chennai tomorrow to discuss the issue in its Executive Council, Parliamentary Party leader T R Baalu told reporters after several rounds between the two parties.
"My leader Karunanidhi has advised me to inform that DMK will support the Government from outside," he said.
Baalu announced the DMK decision after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Karunanidhi who conveyed his rejection of the Congress
proposal.
He said in 2004, there was no formula on allocation of Ministerial portfolios and wondered why the Congress was wanting one now.
However, the Congress said the "dialogue" with DMK has not ended, in indications that senior party leaders would hold further negotiations to hammer out a solution.
Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi said, without giving details, that DMK wanted "status quo" and "more" Ministerial berths � seven portfolios plus more.
There was no official version on what exactly was DMK's demand and what was Congress' offer.
There were various versions.
One of them was that DMK wanted seven portfolios, four of them of Cabinet rank for Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri, grand nephew Dayananidhi Maran, daugher Kanimozhi, besides incumbents A Raja and Baalu and three MoS berths.
Another version was that Congress was opposed to inclusion of Baalu and Raja on grounds of performance and alleged corruption which DMK sought to contest.
Yet another version was that DMK was also keen on Railways, which is said to be eyed by Trinamool Congress.
Dwivedi conceded this much that the Congress proposal was not acceptable to DMK which felt it was "less".
On the eve of swearing in of Government in 2004, similar drama was witnessed when DMK threatened not to join the Ministry insisting on Shipping and Transport portfolio which it finally got after TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao gave up this department in favour of Labour.