Congress keeps its fingers crossed

The Congress hopes that DMK’s threat to get its MPs to resign on the Sri Lankan issue doesn’t spin out of control, reports Saroj Nagi.

The Congress hopes that DMK’s threat to get its MPs to resign on the Sri Lankan issue doesn’t spin out of control.

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“How can they do it? Their own government would be reduced to a minority in Tamil Nadu,” said a Union Minister, amid indications that the Tamil issue could derail proceedings in Parliament. But Union Minister T.R. Baalu’s reported statement on Sunday that the fortnight period given to resolve the Sri Lankan Tamil issue was neither a “deadline’’ nor aimed at creating trouble for the Manmohan Singh government, brings hope.

The Centre has been talking with the Lankan authorities on the issue after DMK’s threat .

Congress leaders claim that CM M. Karunanidhi’s move to get his MPs to resign is born as much out of its concern over the killings of Tamils as it is to whip up passions to help beat down the anti-incumbency factor in the run up to the polls. And though he may want to hold assembly elections along with the parliamentary polls, he will need the Congress.

At present, the DMK and the Congress depend on each other. After the MDMK, the PMK and the Left parted ways; the 35 Congress MLAs have sustained Karunanidhi’s government. Likewise, after the Left withdrew support, the UPA government’s dependence on the Samajwadi and the DMK has increased.