Efforts on to save DMK-Congress alliance

Efforts are afoot to save the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliance, despite the unilteral announcement by the ally to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) over differences in seat sharing in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.

Sources in the party say that senior party leaders like Pranab Mukherjee could be talking to chief minister M Karunanidhi to clear the air.

There was no indication till tonight whether the party was sending any leader to Tamil Nadu to salvage the situation.

That all was not lost was also evident when senior DMK leader TR Baalu indicated his party could review its decision to pull its ministers out of the Union cabinet if the Congress relents on its stand over seat sharing.

Asked whether it was the end of the road for the seven-year-old DMK-Congress alliance, Baalu replied in the negative.

"We are all friends. We do not see the end of the road. Though we have withdrawn ministers our friendship will continue forever... Definitely we will have a discussion if they (Congress) reconsider. If Congress agrees for 60 seats we will reconsider our decision (to pull out of Cabinet)," Baalu told reporters.

Congress, too, has reacted with caution on the development with party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi indicating that hopes of a settlement on seat sharing even at this stage are very much alive.

"There is no need to comment on it now. This (has happened) in the middle of negotiations and unnecessary press comments will muddy the waters," was the refrain of Singhvi.

A senior AICC functionary, who did not wish to be identified, said, "We are not going to react until the DMK officially communicates to us the decision."

DMK is the first ally of the Congress led UPA to pull out of the ruling coalition at the Centre.

With 18 MPs in the Lok  Sabha, it is the third largest constituent of the UPA after Congress and the Trinamool Congress.

It has been with the UPA since 2004 after Congress and DMK buried the hatchet before the Lok Sabha elections.

UPA ally NCP has also appealed to DMK to continue its support to the alliance as it has been doing for the past seven years.