DMK out of two crucial cabinet panels

M Karunanidhi's DMK is out of crucial cabinet committees on economic affairs and infrastructure, a development reflecting the Tamil Nadu outfit's reduced weight in UPA after the 2G spectrum scam authored by former telecom minister A Raja.

But the cabinet panels are also the tale of return of Dayanidhi Maran as the key DMK interlocutor in Delhi, finding membership in cabinet panels on political affairs, parliamentary affairs and WTO affairs. MK Alagiri, strongman from Karunanidhi family and Union minister, is a member of the cabinet committee on prices.

The committees redrawn after the ministerial reshuffle in January bear the mark of the 2G scam. Raja, who was sacked from the Union cabinet, has left a void in the economic affairs and infrastructure panels.

The DMK's absence is conspicuous because it dominated the heavyweight infrastructure ministries in UPA regimes. Raja was only DMK minister left in these ministries in UPA-2, a far cry from the previous regime when the party ruled shipping, highways and transport, and telecom.

The emergence of Congress as a stronger coalition core in 2009 reduced the clout of DMK and the Prime Minister vetoed its claim on shipping and highways, the fief of TR Baalu.

There is little likelihood of telecom ministry reverting to DMK now but much would depend on the outcome of the April assembly election which has more than chief ministership at stake for the ruling party in Tamil Nadu.

Dayanidhi Maran's, however, is an interesting story. The Union textiles minister, who was out of favour in DMK in the latter part of UPA-1, has regained some muscle with membership in key panels as his party's representative. Maran was blamed for instigating the feud between brothers Alagiri and deputy chief minister MK Stalin and had to resign from the Union cabinet. He regained the ministerial berth in UPA-2.

The political affairs and parliamentary affairs panels have lost clout after the marginalisation of allies in UPA-2 but Maran is the DMK man for party inputs on key issues. These panels give representation to all allies like Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and Farooq Abdullah.

DMK sources said the suave former telecom minister gained ground because his bete-noire and Union fertlisers and chemicals minister Alagiri is focussed on state politics.

Maran's slot in the committee on WTO affairs is on account of his ministerial responsibility because textiles forms a big part of the multilateral regime. Alagiri is in the prices panel because of his ministerial role in chemicals and fertilisers.