Maran kicked out; 2G ghost all set to consume DMK?

New Delhi, Jul 8: After the resignation of Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran over 2G spectrum scam, speculation and rumours started doing rounds suggesting that Congress has been planning to end its seven year-long alliance with Karunanidhi led DMK.

Dayanidhi Maran resigned form the Union Cabinet after the CBI implicated him in their status report on 2G spectrum scam. CBI in the Supreme Court claimed that they received evidence against Maran in the 2G scam issue for allegedly forcing telecom promoter C Sivasankaran to sell his company Aircel to a Malaysian firm when he was the telecom minister in 2006. Prime Minister asked for Maran's resignation just a few days before the possible Cabinet reshuffle.

With Maran's resignation, DMK's representation in the Cabinet reduced to a single member. Karunanidhi's son MK Azhagiri is the lone DMK member in Manmohan Singh's cabinet. In UPA-II government, the south Indian ally managed to get three Cabinet berths and four MoS, but when former telecom minister A Raja resigned over the 2G scam, the number reduced to two.

It was interesting to notice that Maran was thrown out of the Cabinet a few days after Jayalalithaa's meet with Prime Minister. During her visit, Tamil Nadu chief minister reportedly asked PM to snub Maran to get AIADMK's support for Congress. With the latest political developments, various media and analysts predicted a possible alliance between Congress and AIADMK as the Tamil Nadu ruling party has 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Moreover, in a recent interview with an English news channel, when asked about a possible political realignment before the 2014 general elections, Jayalalithaa said that "anything can happen anytime". She also added that all political parties have to be capable of flexibility as the Indian political scenario tends to change any time.

Meanwhile, DMK was not happy with Congress' attitude towards it. Though DMK leaders have not yet come publically against Congress, sources said that senior leaders asked to keep mum on the latest developments as they are pushing hard for the ministerial berth for TR Baalu during the Cabinet reshuffle.

Responding for the first time after Maran's resignation, DMK supremo Karunanidhi accused media for the developments. Strongly criticising the media, Karunanidhi said, "In the whole world, especially in a country like India, the media is ruling and (it) can defame anyone. Dayanidhi Maran is no exception."

OneIndia News