The Prime Minister is now heading a Congress-led government and not a UPA government with its common minimum programme. Mr TR Baalu, minister for shipping and surface transport, had to be stopped by the Supreme Court from pursuing his pet Sethusamudram shipping canal project which no shipping company except his own wanted.
His performance in completing national highway projects is also mired in controversy.
The questionable conduct of Telecom minister Mr A. Raja in inviting and processing tenders of BSNL and MTNL; introduction of the universal licence; allocation of spectrum, and methods of auction are steeped in corruption. Reserve Bank Governor Dr Subbarao who was then the finance secretary had written a letter to DoT advising it to follow proper procedure and to stay further action on these questionable deals. Mr Raja ignored Dr Subbarao's advice. The CPI-M had brought out a well-documented booklet titled “The Rs 100,000 crores Spectrum Scam”, exposing Raja's shenanigans.
Party insiders say Mr Karunanidhi has his own reasons for insisting on including Mr Baalu and Mr Raja in the new Cabinet. Mr Raja is the Dalit face of the DMK. Letting him down at this stage will cost the DMK its considerable Dalit vote bank. Besides, Mr Raja is known not to take any important decision without consulting his party chief.
Mr Baalu is the DMK's man for all seasons and the party dare not let him down.
Dr Singh must understand the delicate situation Mr Karunanidhi, who calls the DMK an extended family, finds himself in. If his elder son Mr MK Azhahiri is denied a Cabinet post, his second wife Dayaluammal will revolt and if his younger
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daughter Ms Kanimozhi is denied a Cabinet berth, her mother and the third wife of Mr Karunanidhi will revolt. If Mr Dayanidhi Maran is not included in the Cabinet, Mr Karunanidhi's elder daughter Selvi who had married into the Maran family would be unhappy. The 85-year-old Tamil Nadu CM would be spared of this agonising predicament if the Prime Minister gracefully accepts the DMK's offer of support from outside. It would also help Mr Karunanidhi to complete the remaining two years as a single party government and enable him to pass on the mantle to Mr MK Stalin, his younger son, who has been groomed to succeed him as CM.
If the PM insists on the DMK joining his ministry, the Congress legislators in Tamil Nadu would insist on their pound of flesh and demand an adequate share in power in the state. In that case Mr Karunanidhi's carefully planned succession plan could go awry. All things considered, the best course for the Congress is to let the DMK support the new government from outside.
