Mindful of public anger against the initiatives of the Congress-led UPA government, sources said, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi is dismissive of increasing his party’s participation in the Union Cabinet as that would also give Mr Karunanidhi’s arch-rival, Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, another handle to beat him with.
Sources said the party would be at the receiving end if whoever is deputed to Cabinet doesn’t perform well in the ministry and in Parliament.
As it is there is so much discomfort in the Congress over the non-performance of DMK ministers in Delhi, and even if they were to perform well and win accolades, that would show Union minister for fertilisers and chemicals M.K. Azahgiri — seen to be ineffective — in bad light, which in turn could trigger bad blood within the faction-ridden party, sources added.
On the other hand, all the DMK MPs are hoping against hope that their “Thalaivar” will finally take note of their feelings and avail the berths.
Sources also said that Mr Karunanidhi is conscious of speculation that former minister T.R. Baalu and a couple of others may end up in the Cabinet in the next reshuffle. The names of T.K.S. Elangovan and Tiruchi Siva too crop up in political circles due to their seniority and contribution to the party.
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Khurshid: Parties have compulsions
Mount Abu (Rajasthan), Sept. 16: Rejecting suggestions that pushing reforms will cost the Congress dear in elections, Union law minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday claimed that most parties want FDI in multi-brand retail but are opposing it due to their political compulsions.
“Congress will be victorious in the elections.... The Prime Minister will come out unscathed,” the minister told reporters while responding to questions on the fallout of the big bang reforms pushed by the government in recent days.
On the opposition to allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail, he said “most parties want this but they have their political compulsions”. Asked about the rise price of diesel, he said the government imports 80 per cent of the diesel required by the country. “If the prices are not raised, diesel will not be available to the people,” he said. He evaded queries on the alleged irregularities in coal block allotment.
— PTI