Talks break down, DMK to give outside support

New Delhi: Twenty-four hours ahead of the swearing-in of Manmohan Singh as the prime minister for a second consecutive term with his team of ministers, the Congress was on Thursday engaged in hectic parleys with its key coalition partner, the DMK, over allocation of ministerial berths.

Talks between the two parties have broken down with DMK leader T R Baalu saying that the Congress formula of giving out ministries was unacceptable to them. Baalu announced the breakdown of talks after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up DMK chief M Karunanidhi who conveyed his rejection of the Congress proposal.

DMK leaders, including party chief M Karunanidhi, are returning to Chennai on Friday to discuss the issue in its Executive Council, 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," Baalu said. He said in 2004, there was no formula on allocation of ministerial portfolios and wondered why the Congress was wanting one now.

"The Congress' proposal is not acceptable to us; there was no formula on establishment of government in 2004. DMK will give outside to UPA," he added.

The incident is reminiscent of the scenes witnessed on the eve of government formation in 2004 when the DMK announced that it was not agreeable to Congress "formula" on ministerial allocation and would extend outside support.

The DMK wants a repeat of the 2004 formula when for every three MPs, the DMK got one ministry. It has also demanded the so-called ATM or wet ministries - the ministries where the most money can be made. It had made a bid for key ministries including surface transport, railways, IT and communications and tourism.

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 the Railways portfolio, which is said to be eyed by Trinamool Congress.

However, DMK has just 18 MPs and so its bargaining power has decreased with Congress having 206 MPs and the Congress has refused to agree to their demands, saying the situation of 2009 is very different from what it was in 2004.

"Their demand is unacceptable as it is more that what we are ready to give. So the talks have broken down. It was proposed that status quo should be maintained. But they did not relent so this stalemate. But we will continue to talk as they are our allies," said Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi.

Sources however, say that the swearing-in ceremony to go on as scheduled. They say that Congress may leave some ministries for the DMK and a second round of the swearing-in ceremony may be held for DMK nominees.

DMK has 18 MPs and is the third largest constituent of the UPA after Congress (with 206)and Trinamool Congress, which has 19.

Stuck by 'berth' pangs, the Congress finds itself grappling with other allies like Trinamool Congress and NCP who are negotiating and making tough demands in order to get plum portfolios.

Among the 'big four' portfolios, Finance is likely to go to Pranab Mukherjee, while Home and Defence would be retained by P Chidambaram and A K Antony respectively.

There is no finality about who will bag External Affairs for which names of Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal are doing the rounds.

A scheduled meeting of the Prime Minister with President Pratibha Patil in the morning, which was later put off, fueled speculation that there could be a deadlock over ministry formation. But sources said that the meeting had nothing to do with government formation.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who may not not join the UPA government, held third round of talks with Congress leaders but dismissed suggestions that she was bargaining hard for key ministries.

"There is no talk of bargaining (for ministerial posts). .... We have not discussed this. What they (Congress) want, they will do. Even if they don't give us anything, we don't mind," Banerjee told reporters.

However, sources said the party is keen on Railways, Coal and Mines and Steel portfolios which, it feels, are critical to West Bengal economy. It was also eyeing the portfolios of Health and Home Affairs at the Minister of State level.

(With inputs from PTI)

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