In a bid to mollify the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday spoke to its chief, M
Karunanidhi, over the phone.
 

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Karunanidhi, unhappy with the portfolios allocated to his party, late Sunday night asked his ministers to not assume office.

Singh's call to the DMK chief came amid hectic parleys between senior Congress leaders and DMK minister Dayanidhi Maran to find a way out of the crisis.

Earlier in the day, Maran and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, held talks with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the prime minister.

"There are so many allies and partners in a coalition. Everything of every partner cannot be met and this has got to
be understood by all the allies," Kamal Nath told reporters after the meeting.

"In coalition politics it is natural that many things have to be harmonised. This [the DMK issue] is a minor matter. There is no harm in having a wish list. In an alliance you do have to have a give and take policy," he said.

Noting that the Congress has a very cordial tie-up with the DMK and it would continue, he said that one more round of
talks will be held and "we are moving in the right direction and we will find a solution."
 
The DMK has seven ministers in Dr Singh's team -- three cabinet rank and four ministers of state.