New Delhi: M Karunanidhi's official residence continued to be the centre of activity through the day on Saturday for DMK leaders.
Several rounds of meetings later, the party is nowhere close to resolving differences with the Congress over ministerial berths and portfolios.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Congress man in charge of negotiating with the DMK, says the two sides need more time but indicated he's in no hurry to fly down to Chennai.
"We do not have any meetings fixed with the DMK. We have to meet and decide the matter... I keep hearing of my going to Chennai fron newspapers and news channels," he says.
DMK leader M K Azhagiri says: "The Prime Minister has asked us to join. We hope someone will talk to us tomorrow."
The stalemate continues over two counts. The DMK wants 5 Cabinet berths and 4 ministers of state. Their preferred ministries include Telecom & IT, Power, Surface Transport, Health. But the Congress is willing to give no more than 3 Cabinet berths, and is offering ministries like Chemicals and Fertilisers, Labour apart from Information Technology.
When asked "why is the DMK so keen on getting the same portfolios," former IT minister A Raja replies: "No only the party leader can talk about this."
So would the DMK crisis be resolved by Tuesday -- the day when the second round of swearing-in ceremony of the Manmohan Singh government is supposed to take place?
"I don't know. Maybe we have the meeting," says Ghulam Nabi Azad.
"Congress leaders still maintain DMK is an important ally and relations with them are cordial.But the message is clear: With 206 MPs, the Cong won't buckle under pressure."