After the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam pulled out of the United Progressive Alliance government on Saturday night over seat-sharing, the big question being asked in New Delhi's corridors of power was whether the Congress will go it alone in the upcoming Tamil Nadu polls.
The Congress headquarters at 24 Akbar Road was abuzz with activity soon after the DMK passed its resolution, with party loyalists urging that they should contest the elections without any alliance.
The seven-year-old-alliance with the Congress is on the verge of breaking up, with DMK chief K Kaurnanidhi sending a strong signal to the UPA after withdrawing support to the government.
"This decision comes because of the seat-sharing dispute," said DMK leader T R Baalu. The Congress wanted 63 seats as against the 60 offered by the DMK. But few Congress supporters are willing to buy this argument as they feel that Karunanidhi has been mounting pressure on the Centre that the Central Bureau of Investigation probing the 2G spectrum scam should not summon his daughter MK Kanimozhi, but to no avail.
Nevertheless, the DMK's decision appears to have come as a bolt from the blue for the Congress, which still feels all is not lost and negotiations could continue.
Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi gave a guarded reaction on the development, keeping alive the hopes of a settlement on seat-sharing even at this stage.
"There is no need to comment on it now. This has happened in the middle of negotiations and unnecessary press comments will muddy the waters," was Singhvi's refrain.
Indicating that the party has been caught off-guard on the issue, a senior party functionary, who did not wish to be identified, said, "We are not going to react until the DMK officially communicates to us its decision."
Following the DMK's resolution, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held consultations with party leaders like senior party like Gulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel and others to review the development.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had in a statement a couple of weeks ago said the Congress should test the waters by going it alone in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls.
With inputs from PTI
