No Cabinet berth for Kanimozhi: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Jan 22 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi today ruled out his poetess-daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi getting a berth in the Union Cabinet as she was not yearning for it.

Denying reports in this regard in a section of the media, he described the reports as nothing but ''rumours and speculations''.

The media had reported that Ms Kanimozhi would be given the Environment Ministry portfolio. When she herself was not yearning to become a Minister, the question of she getting the portfolio did not arise, he said, replying to a set of questions.

The report was published in 'Tamil Osai' Tamil daily, run by the PMK, a key ally of the DMK-led DPA in the State.

It may be recalled that political circles were agog with speculations that Ms Kanimozhi would get a Cabinet berth soon after she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. These rumours gained credence after Mr Dayanidhi Maran quit as Union Minister following soured relations between the Marans and Karunanidhi family and Environment Minister A Raja was given the additional portfolio of IT and Communications, held by Mr Maran.

UNI GV-WS GD DS AS1611