The executive committee of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has entrusted the task of holding discussions with alliance partner Congress on party president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. The DMK has bagged the third highest number of seats among UPA allies after the Congress and Trinamool.

The party patriarch will leave for the national Capital on Tuesday and is expected to meet Sonia Gandhi during the day. Senior leader and former Union minister T R Baalu has been elected as the parliamentary party leader of the DMK in the Lok Sabha.

“We have not decided on joining the Cabinet. I will be meeting (UPA Chairperson) Sonia Gandhi tomorrow and a decision will be taken after further discussions,” Karunanidhi told the media after a party meeting on Monday morning.

The DMK is reportedly demanding seven ministerial berths, including Cabinet berths, and the names of Karunanidhi’s son Azhagiri, daughter and R S member Kanimozhi, grandnephew Dayanidhi Maran and senior leaders like Baalu and A Raja are doing the rounds though nothing could be confirmed.

Coming amid reports about the death of LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, the party also urged the Centre to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to find a lasting solution which could offer equality to the Tamil civilians in Lanka.

The issue is also expected to figure in Karunanidhi’s discussions with alliance partners in New Delhi in the coming days.