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Gandhi drove down to Singh's official Racecourse Road residence along with her political secretary Ahmed Patel.
The meeting comes in the wake of key ally DMK, with 18 MPs, deciding to extend outside support to the UPA as its talks with the Congress on ministerial berths fell through.
MK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his son and MP from Madurai, M Azhagiri, left for Chennai on Friday morning.
DMK MPs to attend swearing in of Manmohan Singh
Even as DMK decided to stay out of the UPA government for now, its Parliamentary Party leader T R Baalu on Friday said its MPs would attend the swearing-in of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister.
Asked about the formula for sharing ministerial berths, Baalu told reporters on his arrival in Chennai from New Delhi that he had nothing to add to what he had stated on Thursday.
Baalu had said in Delhi that there was no formula in 2004 for allocation of ministerial portfolios.
When asked whether DMK was worried that the talks with the Congress have failed, he said, "We are not at all worried. We are friends."
Baalu declined to entertain further questions.
DMK to stay out of new Govt
The DMK, a key pre-poll ally of the Congress, will stay out of the new government at least for now, providing outside support following a deadlock in negotiations with Congress over portfolios.
DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunandhi told reporters before leaving for Chennai with other party leaders this morning that the party has decided to give outside support.
Karunanidhi said the Congress has given a formula on ministerial allocation but he cannot give his views as an individual as the DMK's executive will discuss and decide on the issue after which only the party would say something.
A meeting of the DMK executive has already been convened in Chennai today which will discuss the deadlock in the talks between the party and Congress on ministerial berth
allocation.
On Thursday, after several rounds of discussions in the last two days, the party announced that the Congress formula on ministerial allocation was not acceptable to it and the party would give only outside support.
There are various versions of what the DMK has demanded and what the Congress has agreed to give. Among them are that the party wanted cabinet berths for Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri, daughter Kanimozhi and grand nephew Dayanadhi Maran besides T R Baalu and A Raja apart from ministers of state berths for some others.
Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi had last night reacted that the DMK was asking for too much and they should be more reasonable.
Sources said the Prime Minister was said to be against inclusion of Baalu and Raja, a stand the DMK is said to be resisting.
Congress sources said that party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had discussions till early hours this morning and decided to renegotiate with DMK.
Gandhi and Singh also made calls to DMK chief M Karunanidhi late last night in their last ditch attempt to mollify the Dravidian leader.
During the meeting at PM's residence, the Congress President took stock of the situation after DMK bargained hard for more berths in the Union council of ministers.
The DMK is learnt to have demanded portfolios like shipping, surface transport, communications and environment.
Sonia and Singh discussed names from both Congress and its pre-poll allies for cabinet berths and allocation of portfolios to the council of ministers.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to be sworn in by President Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhawan at 6.30 pm on Friday.
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Let them stay away and I cannot see any set back to UPA or for the grwoth of the country by staying out of the DMA from UPA govt and infact it would be the loss for the MKs family members and not even for Tamilnadu. What they want is plum portfolios to flourish their family and even the DMK party also comes secondary none to MKs family members and how can we expect that they would care for TN let alone the growth of the country. If they want to pull out from UPA the real sufferer would be the DMK (mijnority govt of Tamilnadu) who have been hanging with the help of Congress and they have nogratefullness to congress till date nor they considered any meninsterial berth for cong MLS in TN. What a logic. Let they be out of UPA for the sake of future of Cong, TN and as well as the Country's growth. They have been riding almost two decades on national parties and get everything and giving nothing to them.
come on again an bribe samrajayam has began its saga,let us learn to cop with it(why to learn it is in our blood stream isnt it)
DMK shouldn't be part of this govt.They are corrupt. They are black mailing the nation. The whole family is corrupt and uncivilized-- please for God sake keep them at Bay.
Dr Manmohan Singh who on his first day of his first term in office announced that it would not be possible to keep the election promises. It was appreciated by the whole nation and it was the right thing for someone of his stature in a dilemma to do. It was a bold announcement, and it was more important to take a decision not be bogged down by the harmful pre-poll -promises than to attempt to keep up the political word. The Congress Party on this date looks promising and appears to have a strong sense of purpose. Most, if not all of the faces in the cabinet as sworn in look dignified. Irrespective of the arguments against the Gandhi family being a "Dynasty", it happens to be a family with children well educated and raised well - with a sense of purpose. - to cause reform and reform needs to begin in-house at the UPA. Time to repeat history, and this is a great opportunity to set standards. Maran looks good, but other names ? then why would the good forces assert by any reversal.
If Congress accepts the conditions of DMK, it ought to prove what Mr.Advani was saying" Manmohan Singh was a weak PM India ever had".Some 40 years Mr.Kannadasan one time close associate of Mr.Karunanidhi wrote that whatever is got it will be taken by MK and then his nephew and his family.Only balance left out would be given to party stalwarts. This is proved again.Shame on the people of Tamilnadu who elected this party of thieves.
Manmohan Singh and Ms. Gandhi ought to remember people's massive mandate in favour of stability and those who voted the congress voted against regionalism/castiesm/communalism/communism. They should not make any ministers from its pre/post poll allies except ex-congress folks like Mamta and Pawar. There too they would be well advised to encourage the above two to merge their parties into the INC and thereby go upto 235 odd seats. They can then run a minority government safe in the thought the BJP/SP/BSP wont dare defeat the government as they will be reduced to laughable numbers in the ensuing election.
The government has to implement the educational qualification for political party and make sense to the country. Right now, so many leaders and ministers are have had not entered to school entrance steps. How they can work for India? Definitely they will work for corruption! All over the world Indian brains and hard work only ruling but India still is paralyzed bze illiterate leaders.
AFTER ALL IT IS POLITICS. KARUNANIDHI HAS TO TAKE CARE OF DMK IN TAMIL NADU. ALAGIRI HAS TO BE ACOOMMODATED IN CENTER SO THAT STALIN CAN BE HOISTED IN TAMIL NADU. VITAL MINISTRIES ARE REQD SO THAT SOME GOOD CAN BE DONE TO TAMIL NADU IN ADDITION TO GETTING "PARTY FUNDS" .IT IS HERE THAT THOUSANDS OF CRORES ARE SPENT.CONGRESS IS NO DIFFERENT. AFTER 2 YEARS MANMOHAN SINGH WILL RETIRE AND THE PRINCE WILL BE HOISTED. TV CHANNELS WILL BE OVERJOYED WITH ANALYSIS... THE DRAMA GOES ON AND ON...
It is only fair that DMK does not deserve to get even one ministerial berth unless and until Congress is given ministries in Tamil nadu as per the wish-list of congress. This is logical and fair enough. It is not only the right but also the duty of PM to ensure that no tainted person is given ministership.
Congress' offer was more than reasonable. It was a cheap pressurizing trick by DMK to ask for more ministerial berths. Even though Congress is in a commanding position, it is showing respect to its allies. It is evident from the number of ministerial berths it offered to DMK, which has only a total of 18 MPs. So, now, it is DMK who has to decide whether to accept the offer or to get off.
This is the most apt moment for national parties to put their heads together and find a way out to shrink the space of regional parties playing at national level which is detrimental to the national integration.
it is realy one can not understand even for selecting office peons there is a basic qualification is required. I doubt whether Alagiri has passed sslc ...! he will look like his father ...o INDIA....
Karunanidhi has amassed wealth and in the recent past all his kins have suddenly become super rich. It is a shame for the DMK and Tamils that Karuna left out veterans of the party but wants his kins to be ministers. UPA and Manmohan Singh were really weak but now after elections they are not. Throw DMK out of the alliance and conduct a probe on the wealth of the earlier ministers and kins of K. Also into the corrupt practices adopted by DMK during elections.K just not have the will or principle to stick to his stand. He will come around shamelessly and accept the offer. It is badly needed for their looting mission is yet unfinished.Let the PM throw DMK out and show his strength?
Dear sir,Another drama is being enacted by the DMK, very similar to the one it enacted in 2004. Crafty politician that he is, Mr. Karunanidhi may get way with the portfolios he needs. However, it’s ironic that a party which pledges to be against dynasty politics is very adamant on cabinet berths to Mr. Karunanidhi’s children and grand nephew. And, if M. Azhagiri does become a Union Minister it would be a reward to muscle and money power. Merlin Flower,Kanyakumari.
In the long term interest of stability / accountability / competitive benchmarking, Congress has to allocate a fixed number of 'wet' ministerial berths to each state where their allies are the prime moversand should not interfere with to whom the allies want to give the ministries. After a fixed number of years the ministries can be rotated amongst allies and the congress. The prime minister should stop with giving general expectations / goal guidelines. I for one do not buy that there are non corrupt ( not only in terms of money but also in terms of policies) people in India. ( Eg Manmohan
The country has given a mandate for a change .. a change for better. Congress should not squander this opportunity by bending or getting brow beat by the thieves masquerading as DMK MPs from TN. Going by Karuna's logic questioning the educational qualifications of Lord Rama in building Ram Sethu what qualifications do Aghagiri,Kanimozhi, Maran, Balu etc. possess to occupy the much sought after key ministries. This is a golden opportunity to weed out another pest from Indian politics like we saw in Bihar..Lalu, Paswan etc. God save TN and save India from these merciless mercenaries.
The congress party should not fall to the pressure of DMK. please do not make the central government a family corporate of Mr Karunaneedhi. Mr Azagiri son of Mr Karunaneedhi is a man with criminal background. Ensure he is not given a cabinet minister post.Mr Balu and Raja are also tainted. Please induct only worthy people who have the passion to serve people . Never to tainted members .
OFFER OF CABINET AND MOS BY CONGRESS REASONABLE. PM'S EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE OF PAST MINISTERS IS JUSTIFIABLE AND DMK IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD ACCEPT THE OFFER AND PERFORM
Let MK support as outsider - Cong should not come down to ensure a family is not ruling the Country both in State
History repeats itself. Shri M. Karunanidhi cleverly avoided Congress being inducted in the Ministry in Tamil Nadu State when local Congress wanted to be part of the State Government. Mr M.K.has moral right to claim more berths in the Central Cabinet when Congress has secured 60 more seats than 2004. Congress is therefore, morally right in rejecting the claim of DMK.and should be firm on it.
I agree with your comments. Everybody should understand that it is the confusion created by press and media all the time during elections. They project BJP for their own interests to be the Larjest party. Now this time Election Commission has done a good thing by banning the publication of Exit Polls and openion polls between poll days thereby eleminated the confusion in the minds of people so this result. You can also notice that the exit poll results were also wrong and the opportunist parties like TDP, AIADMK, SP, BSP made rounds around big parties for their causes. Thank god atleast some party with considerable majority has come to power and may God bless us for a stable and working government.
I think DMK is on a sticky wicket and they should know that this mandate is for governance, not for family cabinet of DMK. So PM should not give due importance to them, if they want to stay out, is fine for the country.
How can DMK be an important ally. There are so many parties of the same size and in fact AIADMK is also of the same size. When DMK contested in alliance with Congress, it got few seats and they should not forget that and should not make any demands for berths and they did till now.
DO NOT TAKE ANY MINISTRY - IT IS BETTER FOR THE COUNTRY. ANYHOW, YOU HAVE POWER FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS IN TAMIL NADU. YOU WILL BE DETHRONED NEXT TIME AND YOU CANNOT BLACK MAIL ANYONE AFTERWARDS. CONGRESS MAIN TOUGH STAND AND DO NOT OFFER ANY BERTH THESE FELLOWS.
DMK DEMAND IS NOT CORRECT TAMILNADU POLLING IS NOT GOOD THIRE IS NO JANANAYAGAM ONLY PANANAYAGAM