Another regional ally quits BJP-led govt

But the move will not affect the stability of the coalition government which holds a comfortable majority.

Two federal ministers belonging to the southern Indian party, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), were also expected to quit the coalition government which numbers around 20 parties.

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"The decision will not affect the federal coalition or the government," said ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

The MDMK was upset with the federal government for not acting to free MDMK leader M.K. Vaiko from jail more than a year after his arrest by authorities in southern Tamil Nadu state under a tough national anti-terror law.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the district secretaries of the party in Chennai attended among others by the two Union Ministers Gingee N Ramachandran and M Kannappan, who are now expected to resign.

The meeting was held after the two ministers and the MDMK Presidium chairman L Ganesan met Vaiko in Vellore prison last week in the wake of DMK's decision.

Ever since the DMK's decision to pull out of the government and the NDA, MDMK has been under pressure to follow suit as the DMK had taken up Vaiko's detention under POTA as a major issue.

Earlier, the MDMK appeared to have been hesitant on a break with the NDA because of the latest amendment brought to the POTA, which the party felt would help Vaiko's case.

The MDMK's decision comes less than a week after another southern Indian political party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), with 11 MPs, decided to pull out of the government for the same reason.

Both the DMK and MDMK have accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram of abusing the country's Prevention of Terrorism Act by jailing a number of her political opponents.