New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi late on Thursday night held discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of DMK deciding not to join the government and provide outside support.
Gandhi's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel was also present at the meeting at Prime Minister's residence that is believed to have discussed DMK's insistence on certain number of portfolios and ministries for its representatives.
Meanwhile, Karunanidhi and his entourage are booked by different morning flights to Chennai in case nothing materialises in the negotiations with Congress.
Earlier on Thursday, the DMK decided to support the UPA government from outside after the Congress refused to accept its demand for nine ministerial berths including plum Cabinet posts like Railways, Telecom & IT, Power, Surface Transport and Health.
The DMK with 18 MPs, the third largest constituent in the UPA coalition, wanted nine ministries while the Congress was willing to give only seven.