Cong-DMK standoff: Both parties keen to avert mishap
It was a day of hectic developments in the national capital on the issue of DMK-Congress standoff that saw both sides keen to avert a mishap.
The six DMK ministers who landed in Delhi with the resolve to submit their resignations at 9.30 am had to postpone their meeting with the Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh owing to the work of Congress crisis managers. It was initially scheduled for 11 am. The plan also was to meet at Union chemicals and fertiliser minister Azhagiri’s residence and drive together to meet the Prime Minister.
In the meantime, minister of state for finance Palani Manickam met senior Congress leader and Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament. In an indication that talks were on between the estranged allies, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad at 12 noon said there has been no breakthrough in talks until then. Appointment with the PM gets postponed to 6.30 pm.
At around 1 pm, Union textiles minister Dhayanidhi Maran called on Mr Mukherjee in Parliament. Political secretary to Sonia Gandhi, Mr Ahmed Patel, Union home minister P. Chidambram and Mr Azad too were present during the meeting. Fifteen minutes later, Mr Mukherjee called Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi in an effort to prevail on him to desist from withdrawing from the Cabinet. After the conversation, Mr Mukherjee called on Sonia Gandhi to brief her on the developments.
Mr Azad says that there has been no thaw between the two parties. Mr Mukherjee refuses to interact with reporters. Mr Maran returns to Mr Azhagiri’s residence around 2 pm and leaves after half-an-hour without addressing the press. At 5 pm, Mr Chidambaram calls on Mr Mukherjee. Mr Pranab calls Dr Karunanidhi second time. Around 6.30 pm, deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin, in Chennai, announces that the decision to submit the resignation has been deferred by a day.
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