Pressure mounts within, DMK may join govt

The DMK, a key ally of the Congress, is likely to do a volte-face and join a Congress-led government at the Centre. Two days after DMK presi...

The DMK, a key ally of the Congress, is likely to do a volte-face and join a Congress-led government at the Centre. Two days after DMK president Karuna-nidhi voiced his views against it, he has come under pressure from his allies and party members to reconsider the decision.

The DMK leader would discuss the issue with his allies and the party executive tomorrow.

Initially, the DMK chief cited its reasons for not joining the government. Until the election results were out, the DMK did not think the Congress had half a chance of coming

to power. However, the DMK now feels the reasons for joining the government appear to outweigh the factors that prompted it to initially keep out. First, the PMK, an ally of the DMK, which has won six seats, has already indicated its keenness to be part of the ministry. ‘‘If the PMK is in and we are out of the Ministry, the alliance will not present a cohesive picture. Also, it will show the DMK as a weak alliance leader,’’ admits a party insider.

Story continues below this ad

Second is the intense pressure from party seniors to get into the Delhi gaddi. The Harvard-educated Dayanidhi Maran is waiting in the wings; and the Union Minister for Environment in the NDA government T.R. Baalu, is itching to resume his ministerial chair.

As for the arguments of the possibility of anti-incumbency on joining the Centre, a party senior says: ‘‘We have been in power at the Centre since 1996. We faced no anti-incumbency.’’ More importantly, the DMK can face up to the Jayalalithaa juggernaut only if it has presence in the Central government.

However, the DMK has one problem: The MDMK leader, Vaiko, who has four MP seats in his kitty, is not in favour of joining the government. If Vaiko is stubborn, the DMK and PMK will occupy ministerial berths.

Meanwhile, the MDMK said tonight that it will accept Sonia Gandhi as the next prime minister but ruled out its participation in a Congress-led coalition at the Centre.