DMK gone but government says it will be able to pass reforms

The government said on Wednesday it was still able to pass reform legislation in parliament, a day after DMK abruptly quit the ruling UPA coalition, but ministers did not answer questions on whether it would call a snap election. The withdrawal of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has rattled markets, who are worried that it has left Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unable to pass reforms needed to turn around the country's worst economic slowdown in a decade.