In an apparent act of brinkmanship, the DMK today decided to pull out of the Congress-led Government at the Centre after talks between the two parties on seat-sharing for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections failed.

The DMK President, Mr M Karunanidhi, who had last night accused the Congress of being unreasonable in its demand, today charged the ally of trying to push it out of the UPA.

The meeting of the party’s high-powered committee presided over by him adopted a resolution to pull out of the government and to give issue-based support.

Apparently referring to the Congress’ demand of 63 seats of its choice after agreeing to 60, he said the Congress stand does not help for an amicable poll accord.

“We are compelled to suspect that these are all efforts by Congress to push us out of the UPA. Under these circumstances we have to think whether to continue in the government. “So we have decided to relieve ourselves from the government,” Mr Karunanidhi told the meeting.

He made it clear that while pulling out its six ministers from the Union Cabinet, the party would give issue-based support to the Manmohan Singh government during times of trouble.

With 18 MPs, the DMK is the second largest ally of Congress in the UPA after Trinamool Congress which has 19 MPs.

The DMK’s decision today puts the seven—year—old successful alliance between the two parties under severe strain ahead of the April 13 polls when it faces a tough challenge from rival AIADMK which has already tied-up with actor Vijayakant’s DMDK and Left parties.

The DMK-Congress alliance swept all the 40 Lok Sabha seats including the lone Puducherry seat in the 2004 elections and won 28 seats in the 2009 general elections. The combine also won the 2006 Assembly elections, though DMK could not get a majority on its own.

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