Karunanidhi backs down to save alliance in Tamil Nadu

Telecom minister A Raja’s resignation after days of defiance signals the first capitulation of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi before the Congress.

Telecom minister A Raja’s resignation after days of defiance signals the first capitulation of DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi before the Congress. Whenever his party has been part of a central coalition earlier, the southern strongman has always had his way.

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The Congress, for the first time, managed to extend its diktat to its allies on the issue of corruption, after taking the high moral ground by axing Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan (for the Adarsh scam) and stripping Suresh Kalmadi of his Congress parliamentary party post for alleged scams during the CWG preparations.

Karunanidhi read the writing on the wall, realising that further disregard of the Congress’ missive would jeopardize the alliance as well as support of its MLAs in Tamil Nadu, upon which his government survives.

What clinched matters, DMK sources said, was Jayalalithaa. Karunanidhi was disturbed by his arch-rival and AIADMK leader's offer to the Congress.