Congress, DMK set to announce seat-sharing deal

New Delhi: Feuding UPA allies, the Congress and the DMK, may have reconciled differences and arrived at an understanding on seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. Reports suggest that the regional satrap may have finally succumbed to Congress pressure and yielded the asked for 63 seats.

DMK may be providing 61 out of those still left in the kitty while one seat each may come out of the share given to other regional allies, such as the IUML and the PMK.

DMK representatives Dayanidhi Maran and Alagiri are due to hold final talks with Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi at 6.40 pm and final announcements are expected thereafter.

The seat sharing talks moved through the full gamut of all that constitutes domestic political drama with the DMK even walking out of the UPA alliance at one stage raising the spectre of a destabilised government at the centre.

While negotiations proceed in Delhi the final announcements are expected to be made from state capital Chennai, the home base of the DMK.

The compromise formula was worked out after hectic rounds of parleys among leaders from both sides.

Earlier today, the Congress had made soothing noises, probably sensing that a deal could likely emerge out of the stand-off between the two sides. "They (DMK) are our ally... It is not over... We are definitely hopeful," a senior Congress leader and Union minister said when asked whether the alliance with DMK has come to an end.