DMK and Family Politics + No place for any other Leaders

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could never have imagined that family troubles, rather than political issues, would dog the formation of his new cabinet. The impasse with the DMK over ministerial berths is entirely rooted in ego clashes and sibling rivalries within M Karunanidhi's large and tangled family. In the winter of his life, the 84 year old patriarch of Tamil politics has become a Dasharatha-like figure, a helpless hostage to the conflicting demands of his wives and the vying claims of his children.

On one side is MK Stalin, his designated political heir. Karunanidhi wants to install him as chief minister before he dies. On the other side is M K Azhargiri, who hates and is hated by his brother, Stalin, although both are born from the same mother, Karunanidhi's second wife, Dayalu Ammal. The DMK chief enforced a truce between his warring sons by giving Azhargiri command of southern Tamil Nadu. This is Jayalalithaa country but Azhargiri proved his political mettle in the recent elections by winning nine seats from this region, or 50 percent of the DMK's total Lok Sabha strength. To pave the way for Stalin's accession to the post of chief minister without upsetting a wily political asset for the party, Karunanidhi came up with the bright idea of sending Azhargiri to Delhi as a cabinet minister.

That's when he hit the first bump. His third and most favourite wife, Rajathi, insisted on equal treatment for her daughter Kanimozhi. If Azhargiri gets cabinet status, then so should Kani, she is believed to have demanded. The obstacles came thick and fast after that. His elder daughter (from his second wife), Selvi, staked a claim on behalf oflate uncle Murasoli Maran's son, Dayanidhi Maran. The wives pushed additional claims for respective favourites and DMK warhorses A Raja and T R Baalu. By the time Karunanidhi landed in Delhi to discuss cabinet formation with the PM and Sonia Gandhi, he had a wish list of five cabinet berths plus plus.

The Congress party's Tamil Nadu managers should have warned the bosses about the Karunanidhi family minefield. Obviously they didn't because the PM and Sonia were dumbfounded by their southern ally's claims. The Congress party's insistence on only three cabinet positions for the DMK left Karunanidhi with a huge family battle on his hands. Perhaps the PM should consider flying out a family counsellor to negotiate with the DMK chief instead of Ghulam Nabi Azad. Those who understand the dynamics of Tamil politics are confident that Karunanidhi will accept the Congress formula because he cannot afford to stay out of government. Jayalalithaa is breathing down his neck, waiting for the first crack to appear in the DMK-Congress relationship so that she can step in and get his minority government in Chennai dismissed. But observers say that the PM's Tamil headache has only just begun. Whatever Karunanidhi finally decides and gets his family to accept, the simmering tensions between the siblings can explode at any time and disrupt the government. The Congress will be holding its breath until it can sew up the numbers game in the Lok Sabha to function without the DMK.

Tailpiece:

The biggest beneficiary of the Congress-DMK imbroglio was the NCP. Once Karunanidhi upped and left for Chennai, Congress managers hurriedly moved to pacify angry NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was so upset at moves to deny his party the portfolios it held in the last government that he threatened to stay out of the cabinet. Pawar has not only got back his twin ministries of agriculture and food, he's also managed to keep civil aviation with the NCP. It's yesterday once more!

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/column_dmk-family-affairs-haunt-the-centre_1258454