Congress activists seek share in power

Chennai, May 13 (UNI) Hours after the 31-member DMK Ministry was sworn in, volunteers of Congress, a key ally of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), staged a protest outside party headquarters 'Sathyamurthy Bhavan,' demanding a share in power.

The Congress volunteers appeared a frustrated lot as they raised slogans, even as the newly elected MLAs, led by TNCC President M Krishnasamy, held a closed-door meeting at 'Sathyamurthy Bhavan' here this evening.

They accused Congress Leader Veerappa Moily, who is in-charge of party affairs in the state, of ''betraying'' the interest of partymen and demanded the 34 MLAs stake claim for Ministerships in the DMK-led regime.

About 100 volunteers, who raised slogans against the DMK for failing to respect the mandate of the people for a coalition government, alleged the DMK had deliberately ''stuffed'' the Cabinet with 31 members, so that there was no space for the Congress.

If the DMK could get seven Ministerial berths in the Union Cabinet with just 15 MPs, why not the Congress, which had more than one third of the seats won by the DMK, be accomodated in the cabinet, they asked.

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