Things are not looking good at all for the DMK this election year as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's elder son M K Alagiri has threatened to quit the party and his Union Cabinet post unless the top brass alienate 2G scam-tainted former minister A Raja and his half sister Kanimozhi. Sources said Alagiri is particularly unhappy with the prominence given to younger sibling Kanimozhi. Upset over recent developments,including DMK allegedly shielding former Telecom Minister Raja on the 2G spectrum issue,Alagiri is understood to have conveyed to Karunanidhi during their January 2 meeting that Raja should be stripped of the party post of 'propaganda secretary' immediately so it could distance itself from the scam. Raja faces an inquiry into the haphazard and undervalued allocation of spectrum that has cost the exchequer a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. His homes and offices were raided last month,as were the premises of an NGO which has Kanimozhi as a trustee. He was piqued over the reported telephonic talks between state Information Technology Minister Poongothai and corporate lobbyist Niira Radia,in which she had spoken against him,informed sources said. Since Poongothai is known as a protege of Kanimozhi,a Rajya Sabha MP,he is believed to have told Karunanidhi that action should be taken against both of them. He also expressed his desire to quit the Union cabinet as he was ill at ease in Delhi because of the language problem and would like to concentrate more in state politics,sources said. Party sources,however,have said Alagiri has resorted to such 'pressure tactics' because he wants a meatier role for himself in the party and in the campaign for the Assembly polls. The Madurai strongman had also skipped an election meeting of the DMK yesterday. Alagiri's discontent will be more worry for the DMK which steadied the ship with ally Congress only this Monday after Karunanidhi had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
