DMK to join Manmohan Singh-led UPA govt

Ending the deadlock over its participation in the Manmohan Singh Ministry, DMK, a key pre-poll ally of the Congress, today said it has decided to join the Union Cabinet and forwarded the list of nominees to the Prime Minister.

A decision to participate in the ministry was taken in meetings with the party's high level action committee and the list of DMK nominees has been sent to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and party leader M Karunanidhi said in a statement here.

Singh accepted all the names recommended by the party for the inclusion in the ministry, he said without disclosing the names.

The Prime Minister also called him over telephone this evening and asked all the nominees to be present in New Delhi tomorrow to enable them to be sworn in as ministers, he added.

All minister-designates will leave Chennai this evening, the CM told Singh according to the release.

Meanwhile, party sources said, Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri, his grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran and former IT and Telecom minister A Raja are the likely Cabinet ministers from the DMK.