Maran's exit may not affect DMK-Cong ties

Dayanidhi Maran's resignation from the Union Cabinet is unlikely to alter the DMK's equations with the Congress or for that matter alter the dynamics of the UPA. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports. 2G claims another DMK minister | How HT unravalled the Maran saga | Your say| What is 2G scam? | The downfall

Dayanidhi Maran's resignation from the Union Cabinet is unlikely to alter the DMK's equations with the Congress or for that matter alter the dynamics of the UPA.

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The resignation came a day after the Congress core group concluded that Maran's continuance in the union cabinet has become "untenable" in the wake of his name coming under the Supreme Court's scanner in the 2G scam.

Both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were firm on seeing his exit from the government, according to sources.

The decision was then conveyed to the DMK leadership.

But the move is unlikely to prompt the DMK to pull the plug on the UPA given that the southern party has been decimated by its arch-rival AIADMK in the assembly elections and its two senior leaders — former telecom minister A Raja and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi — in jail and now Maran in the dock in the 2G-spectrum scam.

Congress managers are of the opinion that the DMK has "limited options" and "cannot pull the plug at a time when it is down and its fortunes sliding".

"DMK will not give away the power it is enjoying at the Centre. The dynamics of power politics overtake all other factors….but the tension in relations will continue," a senior Congress functionary said.

Officially, the Congress maintained that the DMK continues to be its alliance partner and Maran's resignation is not going to impact on the ties.