Rattled Cong gets into huddle

Explores options in Chennai,Delhi; DMK says still friends.

Taken aback by the DMKs decision to pull out of UPA government over differences in seat-sharing talks,top Congress leaders got into a huddle late Saturday night to explore the partys options in Tamil Nadu. With the 2G spectrum scam haunting ally DMK,the Congress was expecting its ally to yield to its demand but the DMKs decision to turn the table put the grand old party in a ticklish situation. The Congress is now left with the option of either accepting DMKs offer or put the UPA government at stake.

Congress sources,however,maintained they were in touch with the DMK leadership and a solution would be found. Everything will be sorted out. There is no threat to the UPA government. It is not about 60 or 63 seats; it is about the constituencies that we want to contest, claimed a senior party leader,accusing the DMK leadership of indulging in brinkmanship.

While Congress leaders put up a brave front claiming that SP,BSP and many other parties would more than make up for the loss of the 18 DMK MPs in case K Karunanidhi decides not to support to the UPA government even from outside,sources said that this option was unrealistic. It will be only a matter of time when the SP or the BSP would decide to pull down the UPA government ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly election next year. Besides,if you bank on SP or BSP support,what happens to Rahul Gandhis so-called Mission 2012? said a Congress leader.

Although AICC general secretary in charge of Tamil Nadu Ghulam Nabi Azad and state PCC chief K V Thangkabalu are known to have good equations with AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha,sources said it was too late to explore the possibility of an alternative alliance.

AIADMK sources said although the party would be pleased to tie up with the Congress,it was not in a position to even match the DMKs offer of 60 seats. The AIADMK has already committed 41 seats to Vijayakants DMDK and at least 22 seats will go to Left parties in the 234-member Assembly. Although a section of the Congress was in favour of going it alone in the election,sources said the option did not sound plausible after the Bihar experience.

Even though the DMK had announced the pull-out,it has kept room for negotiations.

We are all friends. We do not see the end of the road. Though we have withdrawn ministers our friendship will continue forever. Definitely we will have a discussion if they Congress reconsider. If Congress agrees for 60 seats we will reconsider our decision, said senior leader T R Baalu.

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Meanwhile,the NCP appealed to the DMK leadership to continue its support to the UPA. We want the UPA to remain stronger, said NCP general secretary DP Tripathi.