25 May 09 3 Ministries for DMK chief’s Family; sop for Baalu

DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday agreed to join the Congress-led UPA government after securing ministerial berths for his two children and sacrificing a close aide as minister.

DMK leaders M K Azhagiri, A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran will get Cabinet portfolios, but Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu will be dropped from the government. Baalu will be accommodated as Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, sources tell CNN-IBN.

Sources say Raja will retain the Communication and Information Technology Ministry and Maran will be given the Textiles Ministry. Azhagiri will be made the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister.

Kanimozhi, the party’s face in New Delhi, is likely to be Minister of State, Women and Child Welfare. Azhagiri and Kanimozhi are Karunanidhi’s children and Maran is his grand nephew.

The party will also get four ministers of state in the government. Kanimozhi told reporters an announcement about the party’s decision will made on Monday. 

Sources in the Congress told CNN-IBN the party would not object to any names the DMK proposes for ministerial posts. “There will not be any problem in the Government. By Tuesday everything will be resolved,” said Congress leader Rajeev Shukla.

Karunanidhi met senior DMK leaders individually at his residence in Chennai on Sunday to consider the Congress’ offer on ministerial berths.

After several rounds of talks on sharing of ministerial berths failed, the DMK announced on Thursday night that it would support the UPA government from outside. Manmohan Singh was sworn in as prime minister as well as 19 others as ministers on Friday. The portfolios of six ministers were announced on Saturday.

A new round of ministers is expected to be sworn in this week, most probably on Tuesday.

The Congress-led UPA commands 322 seats in the new Lok Sabha. The DMK, a major pre-poll ally, has 18 seats and has been bargaining hard for ministerial berths to party leaders, including members of the Karunanidhi family.

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