DMK MPs now aspire for Cabinet berth

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The resignation of Dayanidhi Maran as union minister following the CBI indictment in the spectrum case has dented further the DMK image while reducing its representation in the Union Cabinet to just M.K. Alagiri, plus four ministers of state.

Notwithstanding all the humiliation that the party is now going through since the 2G scam broke out, many of its MPs are nurturing high hopes of being called to fill in the vacancies caused by Mr A. Raja and Mr Maran.

Meanwhile, a reluctant Alagiri has not been active in Parliamentary debates or Cabinet meetings.

He failed to turn up even for the Thursday’s meeting of the Cabinet, which turned out to be the last for Mr Maran before putting in his papers.

DMK sources said parliamentary party leader T.R. Baalu is the frontrunner for the cabinet post, while his colleagues in the Lok Sabha T.K.S. Elangovan, A.K.S. Vijayan, E.G. Sugavanam, T.M. Selvaganapathy, and Tiruchy N. Siva are confident of getting MoS. Minister of state for finance S.S. Palanimanickam, who is facing allegations of not having helped DMK candidates in the recent Assembly elections may be axed.

MoS for information and broadcasting, S. Jagathratchagan is hoping to step into his shoes.

But sources insisted that DMK chief M. Karunanidhi was not in a hurry to fill the spectrum vacancies in the Cabinet.

“His one-point agenda now is to secure daughter Kanimozhi’s release on bail. Besides, he is feeling embarrassed to speak to Sonia or PM for ministerial berths”, said a close Karuna aide, pointing out there “is no logic in pulling out of the UPA at this juncture when there are still three years to go for the present term and we did not pull out when Kani was jailed”.