In pursuance of the first round of talks that the Congress panel had with the DMK on the issue of seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu, the team members briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the proposals put forward by them and the response of the DMK. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in charge of Tamil Nadu, was also present during the parleys.
Emerging from the meeting, Tamil Nadu Congress unit chief Thangabalu said, “We have apprised our president of the talks we had with the DMK and their response. The DMK panel has promised to get back to us after consulting their leader, Dr M. Karunanidhi. We are waiting for it. It is after that, we will have our second round of discussions.”
The Congress panel comprises Union ministers P. Chidambaram and G.K. Vasan, state president Thangabalu, party spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan and an MLA, Jayakumar. Deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin, senior leader T.R. Baalu and ministers in the state Cabinet, Arcot Veerasamy, Duraimurugan and Ponmudi, represent the DMK. According to sources, Mrs Gandhi has directed Mr Azad to call up the Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief Dr Karunanidhi and find out as to how many seats he may part with. The Congress for its part had demanded 90 seats and a share in power apart from forming a coordination committee comprising members from both parties and drawing up of a common minimum programme (CMP).
DMK, in response, had said that the state does not have any past instances of a coalition arrangement. And on the issue of the CMP, the DMK shot it down on the ground that UPA-II does not have one at the Centre.
With regard to the number of seats, the DMK team wanted to discuss the congress’ proposal with their leader. A senior congress leader, on condition of anonymity said that if the demand for a share in power is not met, it is very difficult to convince the cadres to work for the alliance’s victory. He added, that many in the state unit are not in favour of fighting the polls in the company of the DMK.