Karunanidhi to meet Sonia,PM

With the DMK reeling under a succession battle and the return of the 2G spectrum controversy adding to its woes,Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party chief M Karunanidhi has decided to hed to the Capital on Sunday....

With the DMK reeling under a succession battle and the return of the 2G spectrum controversy adding to its woes,Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party chief M Karunanidhi has decided to hed to the Capital on Sunday. During his short stay here,he is expected to meet both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

What could make Karunanidhis visit his first to the Capital after government formation a year ago and his meeting with the UPA chairperson a significant affair is that the two leaders may touch upon the trouble brewing in the DMKs first family in the context of the war involving his sons. With the 2G spectrum controversy once again putting Telecom Minister A Raja on the mat and triggering Opposition demands for his ouster,the DMK chief would like to gauge the mood of the Congress.

As far as the succession tussle is concerned,the buzz in the DMK for long has been that the Chief Ministers elder son and Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister M K Alagiri has indicated his desire to quit the Union Cabinet ostensibly to involve himself in full time party politics ahead of next years Assembly elections and pressure is mounting on Karunanidhi to take a call. Sources said if the DMK patriarch is forced to accept Alagiris wish to return to Tamil Nadu politics with an aim to pose a challenge to his brother and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin who is now the de facto political heir to Karunanidhi,he could propose the name of his daughter Kanimozhi,a Rajya Sabha MP,to fill the slot.

Besides,sources said,the option of advancing the elections scheduled for May next year to the end of this year is being talked about in the party. The Chief Minister would like to know the mind of the Congress,its ally both at the Centre and in the state. The sources said Kalaignar as Karunanidhi is fondly called by his supporters has been planning to meet Sonia for sometime.

Party leaders said he had planned to travel to Delhi earlier this month to attend the conference of CMs on price rise,but cancelled the plan when he learnt Sonia would be away. The official reason for his visit is to attend the Planning Commission meeting on Monday.