New Delhi:
Ending any doubts, DMK and Congress today decided to continue their seven-year-old alliance to contest the forthcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and to set up a committee to thrash out the modalities of seat-sharing.
With just four months left for the Assembly elections in the state, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who arrived here yesterday on a 3-day visit, met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and discussed the political situation in the state.
"I met Sonia Gandhi for 45 minutes. As a result, the DMK-Congress coalition is continuing," he told reporters at the Tamil Nadu House.
The meeting, which was scheduled to be held in the afternoon took place in the evening, and the decision to continue the alliance ended all speculation about any rift between the coalition partners in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam which saw A Raja forced to quit the Union Cabinet.
Karunanidhi said a committee will be formed to discuss the number of seats and the constituencies to be contested by both parties.
"A committee will be constituted. It will discuss the modalities for seat-sharing. The committee will decide the seats and constituencies of both parties," he said after the meeting, during which DMK Parliamentary Party leader T R Baalu, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and MP Kanimozhi were present.
The DMK chief said the committee members will be soon announced and it will start discussing the modalities.
The members of the committee will be made public soon, he said. After seat-sharing talks are over the coalition will be ready for the polls, which are due in May, he said.
The Congress and DMK had entered into an alliance in 2004 and contested the Lok Sabha elections that year, the 2006 Assembly elections and the 2009 general elections together.
The decision comes a day after Karunanidhi announced that PMK will be part of the alliance, but PMK founder S Ramadoss said his party has not yet taken any decision on the alliance question.
Asked about Ramadoss's statement, Karunanidhi said discussions were on and both the parties have not taken a decision yet.
During the meeting with Gandhi, Karunanidhi is understood to have apprised her about the situation in the state.
While Congress is understood to have been demanding around 80 to 90 seats in the 234-member assembly, DMK is believed to allot 60-65 seats.
The sources said hard bargaining is expected from the Congress side this time as the party is part of the alliance since 2004.
A senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu said the party expected at least 80 to 90 seats from the state, but admitted that during the negotiations it would come down to 65.
"We hope to get at least 65 seats. We also want the party to be part of the Government if the alliance comes to power. But that decision has to be taken by our President," the leader said.
With just four months left for the Assembly elections in the state, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who arrived here yesterday on a 3-day visit, met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and discussed the political situation in the state.
"I met Sonia Gandhi for 45 minutes. As a result, the DMK-Congress coalition is continuing," he told reporters at the Tamil Nadu House.
The meeting, which was scheduled to be held in the afternoon took place in the evening, and the decision to continue the alliance ended all speculation about any rift between the coalition partners in the wake of the 2G spectrum scam which saw A Raja forced to quit the Union Cabinet.
Karunanidhi said a committee will be formed to discuss the number of seats and the constituencies to be contested by both parties.
"A committee will be constituted. It will discuss the modalities for seat-sharing. The committee will decide the seats and constituencies of both parties," he said after the meeting, during which DMK Parliamentary Party leader T R Baalu, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and MP Kanimozhi were present.
The DMK chief said the committee members will be soon announced and it will start discussing the modalities.
The members of the committee will be made public soon, he said. After seat-sharing talks are over the coalition will be ready for the polls, which are due in May, he said.
The Congress and DMK had entered into an alliance in 2004 and contested the Lok Sabha elections that year, the 2006 Assembly elections and the 2009 general elections together.
The decision comes a day after Karunanidhi announced that PMK will be part of the alliance, but PMK founder S Ramadoss said his party has not yet taken any decision on the alliance question.
Asked about Ramadoss's statement, Karunanidhi said discussions were on and both the parties have not taken a decision yet.
During the meeting with Gandhi, Karunanidhi is understood to have apprised her about the situation in the state.
While Congress is understood to have been demanding around 80 to 90 seats in the 234-member assembly, DMK is believed to allot 60-65 seats.
The sources said hard bargaining is expected from the Congress side this time as the party is part of the alliance since 2004.
A senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu said the party expected at least 80 to 90 seats from the state, but admitted that during the negotiations it would come down to 65.
"We hope to get at least 65 seats. We also want the party to be part of the Government if the alliance comes to power. But that decision has to be taken by our President," the leader said.
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