When a worked-up TR Baalu stepped out of Tamil Nadu Bhavan last evening to announce that ?my leader? (M Karunanidhi) had rejected the Congress’s ?formula? for berths in the Cabinet and decided that the DMK would provide outside support, few saw it as the last word from the southern ally.
For, in 2004, almost to the day, the DMK, with 16 MPs?now it has 18?enacted the same drama. The script had a little twist then: the party had actually joined the government before raising the banner of revolt.
The DMK got its way in 2004 but this time, with the Congress tally at 206?over 40% higher than that in 2004?and the party having secured the support of 304 (minus the DMK), the DMK may not have much elbow room as it armtwists the Congress.
On May 23, 2004, a day after the first UPA government was sworn in?with seven DMK MPs taking oath along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?Karunanidhi ordered his party’s ministers to boycott their offices until the DMK got more ministries.
He even accused the Congress of backstabbing his party. ?What was agreed upon after eight days of consultation was not respected,? he claimed, blaming a ?coterie? around Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the situation.
The DMK action was seen as blackmail to get more portfolios, but, more importantly, one that could give it authority to settle scores with AIADMK chief and bitter foe J Jayalalithaa.
It wanted to bring the revenue department under the charge of minister of state for commerce S Palanimanickam, handing him the authority to get income tax cases against Jaya and her close confidant Sasikala speeded up.
It also wanted Surface transport minister TR Baalu to be given charge of shipping and highways and shifting Palanimanickam from commerce and industry to finance. The Congress’s response? Within 24 hours, the DMK got its wishlist.
In the process, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had been given shipping, had to relinquish his portfolio.
This came after phones calls between Manmohan Singh and Karunanidhi and two rounds of talks between Sonia Gandhi and Karunanidhi’s nephew Dayanidhi Maran.
Promptly, the DMK ministers, who had refused to assume office, joined the next day. Incidentally, that was the DMK supremo’s second flip-flop in less than 10 days. On May 15, 2004, Karunanidhi had said his party would watch the approach of the government for a ?reasonable time? before taking a decision on joining the ministry.
In the end, it didn’t matter much as it took the party just four days?May 19, 2004 to be precise?to make up its mind to join the government.