The seven-year-old alliance between the DMK and Congress appeared headed for a break with the regional party today ruling out reconsidering its decision to pull out of the Union Cabinet, notwithstanding the Finance Minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee’s appeal.

The DMK’s Parliamentary Party leader, Mr T.R. Baalu, said Mr Pranab Mukherjee called him last night and requested that the DMK chief should reconsider the decision to pull out his six ministers from the UPA Government.

“As of now, there is no reconsideration by the DMK,” Mr Baalu told reporters here at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam.

Peeved over Congress demand for 63 seats against the 60 agreed for the April 13 Assembly polls in the state, the DMK announced its decision on Saturday to walk out of the Cabinet, saying it would extend only ‘issue-based’ support.

Meanwhile, the six DMK Ministers, including Mr M.K. Alagiri and Mr Dayanidhi Maran, reached Delhi and are scheduled to hand over their resignation to the Prime Minister this evening.

“The Prime Minister has given them (DMK ministers) time at 6.30 PM,” a PMO source said.

Earlier in the day, one of the DMK ministers, Mr S.S. Palanimanickam, met Mr Pranab Mukherjee in the Parliament House. “All the DMK ministers will assemble at Alagiri’s residence and then meet the Prime Minister,” he said after meeting him.

Before leaving for Delhi, Mr Alagiri said: “We will meet the Prime Minister and submit our resignation. Nobody from the Congress met our chief Karunanidhi.’’

“We will not accept anything that hurts our self respect, our pride,” the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Mr D. Napolean, said.

He said the DMK ministers will give their resignation “in accordance with the decision taken by the party and on the advice of Karunanidhi’’.

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