DMK putting pressure, Congress not willing to toe the line

O.J.George

For the benefit of local politics or otherwise, the DMK has been driving the Congress to the wall after the UPA II government took over. It is common knowledge that the Congress Party, particularly Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, has not been happy with the performance of many DMK Ministers during the UPA I regime. But the political expediency enmeshed in front regimes had helped the DMK go scot-free.

However, after the last Lok Sabha elections, when the Congress Party rejuvenated itself by good performance at the hustings, the DMK could not claim many things on a platter.

The Lok Sabha election results had proved that many of the partners of the UPA I are not that indispensable. In fact, the Congress Party has a better reckoning indirectly as many parties, now outside the UPA bandwagon, would be only too willing to associate themselves with governance. DMK is not that powerful now. But some of the leaders arrogate to themselves the thinking that they can have their way about every thing.

A.Raja was not a minister held dearly by the Prime Minister during UPA I regime. He would have jettisoned Raja in the UPA II ministry. But Karunanidhi had insisted on Raja being sworn in . That does not mean that Raja can have his way about everything.
The Central Vigilance Commission has found several irregularities in the Telecom department headed by Raja. The CBI had launched widespread raids in many of the offices of Telecom, regarding irregularities and corruption in the allotment of spectrum.

There were reports that a Madras High Court judge was asked by a Union Minister to save a person involved in the marks scam.

Union Minister Azhagiri, Karunanidhi’s eldest son, has not been ruling well at the Centre, which the Congress leaders know it very well.
Under the circumstances, it is clear that all is not well with the DMK-Congress tie-up.


By this time, the DMK has been zeroing in on Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh for his sanctioning a survey for a new dam in place of the 114-year-old mud and lime Mullapperiyar dam.

Karunanidhi wrote to Jairam Ramesh and Prime Minister to cancel the sanction, which no sensible administrator can do. Now DM has called for a special convention of the party to denounce Jairam Ramesh.

It seems DMK is taking Congress Party for granted, but the Congress leaders seem to be not amused. Earlier Rahul Gandhi visited Tamil Nadu, but he did not care to call on Karunanidhi. Now Kanimozhi wanted to call on Sonia Gandhi, who has not been willing to receive her , it seems in the vitiated circumstances.