The DMK has pulled out of the Congress-led UPA coalition in protest against the government's position on a US-backed United Nations resolution on alleged war crimes carried out during Sri Lanka's civil war.The DMK has 18 seats in the Lok Sabha and five ministers in the cabinet.
Union ministers P Chidambaram, AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad hold talks with Karunanidhi on Monday March 18,2013, who had threatened that his party will pull out of the ruling UPA if it failed to move amendments to the US-sponsored resolution on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue at the UNHRC.
Emerging from the meeting, Azad said: "We would report Karunanidhi's suggestions for amendments to the PM."
Karunanidhi has called a meeting of the DMK executive committee on Tuesday to take a decision on its future relations with the UPA.
The DMK submitted a formal letter of withdrawal to the Indian president on March 19,2013 Tuesday night, and its five ministers are expected to submit their resignations on Wednesday.
The ruling UPA coalition is already in a minority -
Party positions in the Lok Sabha which has 539 MPs at present as four seats are vacant. The half-way mark is 270.
UPA has 250 seats
Congress 202
DMK 18
NCP 9
RLD 5
Others 16
Outside support for UPA totals 49 including
SP 22
BSP 21
RJD 3
JDS 3
UPA + outside support equals 299
With DMK deciding to withdraw from the UPA, its strength reduces by 18 to 232.
UPA + outside support in this case equals 281.
The Opposition:
NDA - 152
Left + Others 88
Though the DMK has pulled out, its chief M Karunanidhi said that he may reconsider if the Indian Parliament adopts a resolution before this week's Geneva session of the UN's top human rights body
The DMK wants India to introduce stronger language, including the word "genocide" in the resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva.
India is likely to ask for an independent inquiry against Sri Lanka, it cannot back the term "genocide" and may use "atrocities" instead in a parliamentary resolution or in amendments it may suggest in Geneva.
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