NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: Ending the deadlock over Cabinet positions, a key ally of India’s ruling Congress party, the regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), decided yesterday to put behind its wrangling with the Congress and join the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government after settling for seven ministerial berths, including three of Cabinet rank.

The southern Tamil Nadu state-based DMK with its 18 lawmakers is among the main constituents of the Congress-led UPA that scored a resounding victory in the recently concluded national polls. “The problem is resolved. We are joining (the UPA government),” Arcot Veeraswami, a senior DMK leader told reporters in Chennai.

“They are working out the finer details. It is only the DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu chief minister) who can take a final decision on the names of ministers,” he added.

Congress sources in Delhi said that the party and the DMK had come to a consensus on the ministerial berths and an official announcement would be made today. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Congress leader in charge of Tamil Nadu, had telephonic parleys with the DMK patriarch, they said. Azad was in Orissa yesterday and returns to New Delhi today.

According to the agreement reportedly worked out, the DMK will get three Cabinet and four minister of state berths. The names doing rounds for ministers of Cabinet rank with their portfolios are: A. Raja (chemicals and fertilizers), Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Azhagiri (textiles) and Dayanidhi Maran (communications and IT).

Kanimozhi, the chief minister’s daughter, is likely to be minister of state (independent charge) for women and child welfare. The others in contention for the minister of state posts are S. Gandhiselvan, A.K.S. Vijayan and Jagathrakshakan.

Earlier in the day, Karunanidhi met senior party leaders at his residence to decide on joining the UPA government. The DMK had demanded nine ministerial berths — two more than what it had in the previous government, but finally decided to settle for seven, party sources told IANS.

The party’s move to join the government comes three days after its announcement Thursday night that it would support the UPA government from outside after its several rounds of talks on sharing of ministerial berths failed.

Manmohan Singh was sworn in as prime minister as well as 19 others as ministers on Friday. The portfolios of six ministers were announced Saturday. A new round of ministers is expected to be sworn in this week, most probably tomorrow.

Veeraswami said the Congress wants to keep the infrastructure portfolios like shipping, surface transport and power.

However, the DMK is keen to complete the Sethu Samudram project and it feels that if a party leader is not given the shipping portfolio then the project to create a shipping canal in the Palk Strait will remain in limbo.

The UPA commands 322 seats in the new Lok Sabha. The DMK, a major pre-poll ally, has 18 seats and has been bargaining hard for ministerial berths to party leaders, including members of the Karunanidhi family.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party (SP) expelled Azam Khan yesterday from its primary membership, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said in Lucknow. Khan had resigned as general secretary and parliamentary board member a week ago. “We have expelled Azam Khan from the primary membership for six years for indiscipline and anti-party activities,” Mulayam said. The party will discuss the issue today.

— With input from agencies