By IANS,
Chennai: The DMK Monday decided to wait for a day before quitting the Manmohan Singh government following hectic efforts by the Congress to salvage its seven-year-old alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to reporters here following talks between Congress leader and union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and DMK supremo and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said the party had decided to wait till Tuesday before its ministers gave in their resignations to the prime minister.
Stalin said Pranab Mukherjee had requested the DMK leader for one more day to decide on the coalition.
“We have decided to wait till tomorrow,” Stalin said.
The DMK ministers were scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 6 p.m. Monday to tender their resignations.
On Saturday, the DMK decided to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance government and offer it issue-based support.
The DMK has two cabinet ministers – Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M.K. Alagiri and Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran – and four junior ministers – S.S. Palanimanickam (Finance), S. Jagathrakshakan (Information and Broadcasting), D. Napoleon (Social Justice and Empowerment) and S. Gandhiselvan (Health and Family Welfare) – in the UPA government.
According to Karunanidhi, the Congress’ “unjustifiable demand” of 63 seats of its choice for the April 13 assembly polls was ‘one of the reasons’ for the party’s dramatic decision.
While on Sunday, the Congress did not make any apparent moves to salvage the alliance, on Monday it was different with Congress leaders, including Finance Minister Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, meeting the DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran at parliament house.
Earlier, the six DMK ministers were to submit their resignations to the prime minister in the morning. However, it was deferred for the evening.
With Mukherjee speaking to Karunanidhi in the afternoon and requesting for time to decide on the coalition, a temporary truce has been called by the DMK.