Behind DMK sulking,a backroom family feud

While Kaunanidhi was seen as keeping the Congress on the tenterhooks,sources said he was trying hard to somehow satisfy individual aspirations of all five. Demands for ministerial berths both Cabinet and Minister of State with independent charge twisted and turned as egos clashed within the family. Karunanidhi,sources said,was quite helpless.

When he landed in Delhi on Tuesday,the DMK chiefs wishlist was clear to please all,he had decided to demand Cabinet berths for all five and some MoS posts for other leaders. But the Congress made it very clear that this was unacceptable and the formula needed revision.

New formulations were thought of,keeping in mind power equations within the family and the party. While Kanimozhi had the backing of her mother and Karunanidhis third wife Rajathi,his second wife Dayalu Ammal was rooting for her son Azhagiri. Baalu and Raja are said to be close to the Rajathi and Dayalu households respectively. It is learnt that Karunanidhis elder daughter Selvi threw her weight behind Maran.

With the Congress refusing to budge,the DMK was forced to scale down its demand to four Cabinet berths and one independent MoS and later to three Cabinet ministers and two MoS with independent charge within a span of three days.

At one point,when Karunanidhi came up with the four Cabinet-one independent MoS (for Kanimozhi) formula,it met with opposition from Rajathi. Her contention was that if Azhagiri became a Cabinet minister,how could Kanimozhi be an MoS.

Behind the DMK decision: backroom intrigue,Parivar feud

the word that the Prime Minister didnt want him in the Cabinet. They also accused Maran of trying to scuttle the chances of Azhagiri,a first-time MP,citing his inexperience.

When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was asked today about the controversy over the inclusion of Baalu and Raja in the Cabinet,he said: They are our honoured colleagues. There is no question about having any reservation.

Singh expressed the hope that the DMK would reconsider its decision to lend outside support and join his new government: We hope they will see reason… whatever UPA offered is reasonable. They (DMK) are our respected colleagues. We still hope that in the next few days they will reconsider their decision.

Even when the DMK finally arrived at what it thought was a fair-share formula (three Cabinet,2 MoS independent charge and 2 MoS),its demand for portfolios like Surface Transport,Shipping,Health,Railways,Telecom,Information Technology and Power put off Congress negotiators even more.

It is learnt that in a last ditch effort,the Prime Minister spoke to Karunanidhi over phone and offered the DMK choices like Chemicals and Fertilisers,Labour,Heavy Industry,IT and Telecom. Sources in the DMK said Karunanidhi was upset with the way the Congress treated him,especially by what he thought was a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

Before leaving for Chennai,he was learnt to have written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi,expressing his feelings. Sources said he had made it clear that his integrity should not be questioned,that his party would be with the Congress come what may. His governments survival in Tamil Nadu depends on Congress support. He asked his party MPs and senior leader A Raja to attend the swearing-in ceremony.