The DMK appears to be blinking first in the war of nerves against the Congress, responding “positively” to the latter’s request to defer by a day its decision to pull out its ministers from the Union Cabinet. Crisis managers in the Congress are optimistic that the problem will end any time in the next 48 hours.
A change in the tone and language of the DMK became apparent on Monday when Union minister Dayanidhi Maran met a team of Congress “crisis managers” led by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee at the latter’s Room No. 13 office at Parliament House on Monday morning. Mr Maran’s grim face and reluctance to talk to mediapersons waiting at Parliament House was the first indication that the DMK is not in a bargaining position, contrary to its public postures.
DMK ministers M.K. Alagiri and Dayanidhi Maran, meanwhile, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi late on Monday night for about 30 minutes and discussed the deadlock between the two parties on a seat-sharing pact for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. Though there was no official word on what transpired at the meeting, it is believed that Mr Alagiri and Mr Maran carried a message from DMK chief M. Karunanidhi to Mrs Gandhi.
DMK ministers and MPs were not seen in the Lok Sabha during the morning session, a sign of their nervousness about the developments in the middle of the crucial electoral battle.
On the other hand, Mr Maran was said to be in touch with Union minister M.K. Alagiri.
Room No. 13 was the centre of activity the whole of Monday. Mr Mukherjee had a series of meeting with Congress leaders, including Union ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and P. Chidambaram, the Congress president’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and the DMK’s Mr Maran. Mr Mukherjee, who was also in touch with DMK chief M. Karunanidhi in Chennai, kept Congress president Sonia Gandhi informed of developments.
“Had we been panicked by the DMK’s decision to pull out its ministers from the Cabinet and extend issue-based support from outside, then we would have sent our seniors to Chennai to placate the DMK leadership. But that has not happened... we are managing the crisis sitting in New Delhi,” Congress officials pointed out. According to them, the issue has never been the number of seats but “something else”. The DMK has offered 60 seats to the Congress, but the latter wants 63 winnable seats.
The Congress has no high stakes in next month’s Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. But if the DMK-led front retains power, the Congress will then press to join the government there, they said. “The DMK’s pressure tactics are not new to New Delhi. It had played such tactics during the NDA’s rule, and even in May 2009 when the UPA retained power,” an AICC official recalled.
In Chennai, deputy chief minister and DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin told reporters, “Pranab Mukherjee called our president, M. Karunanidhi, twice during the day. The Congress has asked for a day’s time. So the withdrawal of ministers from the government has been put on hold till tomorrow (Tuesday).” Asked when the issue would be resolved, Mr Stalin said: “They have asked for a day.”
DMK MP Kanimozhi said talks between her party and the Congress were still on and a “clear picture” would emerge only on Tuesday.
The Congress’ crisis managers plunged into action shortly before the six DMK ministers, including Mr Maran and Mr M.K. Alagiri, were to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday and hand over their resignations.
Mr Chidambaram, who was in the Congress’ seat-negotiating panel, met Mr Mukherjee twice in New Delhi on Monday. Mr Mukherjee then called Mr Karunanidhi seeking a day’s time to come back with the Congress’ position on the seat-sharing issue. Sources said the DMK made it clear that the offer of 60 seats to the Congress was final and that the choice of constituencies could be negotiated.
Late Sunday night Mr Mukherjee had called DMK Parliamentary Party leader T.R. Baalu and asked him to convey to Mr Karunanidhi not to withdraw the DMK ministers from the government. Mr Baalu told reporters on Monday that there was no question of reconsidering the withdrawal decision.
Notwithstanding the call, the six ministers left Chennai for New Delhi on Monday morning, as scheduled, to meet the Prime Minister and tender their resignations.
The appointment with the PM was rescheduled from Monday morning to Monday evening and was finally called off in the evening against the backdrop of hectic talks between the two sides. “As of now there is no breakthrough. Let us hope... (We will see) what is going to happen in the course of the day,” AICC general secretary in charge of party affairs in Tamil Nadu Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters.