Chennai:
The Prime Minister's Cabinet reshuffle does not introduce any replacements for the two DMK ministers who have resigned in recent months - A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran both resigned over corruption charges.
In Chennai, DMK Chief M Karunanidhi said, "The reshuffle is not complete yet. I will comment on it after a formal announcement."
Mr Karunanidhi met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Chennai over the weekend to discuss the reshuffle. The DMK chief reportedly stressed that at this time, his priority remains helping his daughter, M Kanimozhi, who is in jail in Delhi for allegedly accepting a 214-crore kickback from the telecom scam engineered by Mr Raja.
The DMK's unwillingness to nominate new ministers for the cabinet is making the Congress easy - it telegraphs Mr Karunanidhi's resentment over his daughter's arrest. Making the Congress squirm, the DMK has indicated that its future relationship with the Congress and the UPA will be decided at a two-day general council meeting of the party later this month.
The DMK has 16 Lok Sabha MPs, making it a significant game-changer. The Congress' concern is that if its Southern ally decides to provide external support, the UPA will be far more dependent on other parties like Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP and Mayawati's BSP in Parliament.