DMK turns down PM's offer

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Union minister of state in the PMO V. Narayanaswamy called on DMK president M. Karunanidhi at his CIT Colony residence on Thursday amid reports of a reshuffle in the Union Cabinet likely this Sun­day.

According to DMK sour­c­es, Narayansamy once again conveyed Prime Minister Manmohan Sin g­h’s wish to induct DMK nominees in his team but Karunanidhi reportedly turned down the offer. DMK’s quota of two Cabinet portfolios rema­ins vacant after the resignation of A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran over the 2G-spectrum allocation scam.

This is Mr Narayanas­a­my’s second meeting with DMK chief in the last one month. The DMK with 18 Lok Sabha MPs is the second largest ally of the Congress-led UPA government following the exit of Trinamool Congress.

Mr Karunanidhi has been declining the offer to fill two Cabinet slots vaca­t­ed by it as a section of party leaders are opposed to continuing in the Con­g­ress alliance. Moreo­v­er, DMK chief is also unhappy with the Congress for not reversing the reform measures like FDI in retail and cap on subsid­is­ed LPG cylinders annou­nc­ed by it despite his repeated demand.

When the UPA II came to power in 2009, the DMK had got three Cabinet and four MoS berths in it. M.K. Alagiri is the only Cabi­net-rank DMK minister in the Union Cabinet following the exit of Mr Raja and Dayanidhi Maran.

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