Will raids rock DMK - Cong political spectrum?

With the CBI targeting suspected larger beneficiaries of the 2- G spectrum scandal, the question uppermost on the minds of analysts and observers is how much of an impact it would have on the political spectrum in Tamil Nadu.

Domestic political dynamics have thus far forced the veteran Dravidian politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to sing harmonious paeans about his national- cum- State ally, the Congress. However, Wednesday’s raids by the central investigation agency on trusted associates of his close family members are sure to leave the octogenarian leader rattled.

As it is Karunanidhi is battling the biggest morality and political crisis in recent years ever since former Telecom Minister A Raja’s ‘ Mother of All Scams’ was unearthed by the CAG report. Raja’s continuance as a privileged member of the ruling party and also as propaganda secretary, when the political opponents are finding him an easy ‘propaganda material’, has caused significant resentment among grassroots party men.

retaining Raja not just because he is the Dalit face of the DMK, but also because the octogenarian has come under severe pressure from his second family - wife Rajathi

Ammal and her daughter Kanimozhi, to protect the disgraced politician. The extended family of the Chief Minister is clearly divided with his sons - Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin and Union Chemicals Minister M K Alagiri - wanting to at least temporarily axe Raja as a face saving formula and Rajathi and Kanimozhi favouring remaining unflinching in their support to him.

Karunanidhi’s grandnephew and Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who still nurses a grudge against Raja for having taken away the plum Telecom and IT portfolios from him, is, of course, happily watching the developments from the sidelines. Until now Karunanidhi has managed to rule out the involvement of the Congress leadership in

the CBI raids. Even last week, after the first round of raids, he downplayed its impact on the alliance saying that they were being conducted under directions from the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the 2G spectrum probe.

While there is a talk in political circles that the Congress could use the CBI raids as a means to blackmail its southern ally and extract more seats during the next

Assembly elections or go in for a coalition arrangement, it is still not clear if the DMK would take this kindly. “ Frequent raids, that too on people close to the ruling family,

will embarrass the DMK as voters will get the impression that the alleged ill- gotten wealth from the 2G spectrum scam has flown beyond Raja. Also around election time, adverse media coverage day in day out will have a negative impact on the voting trends and put the DMK at a disadvantage,” said a political observer.

On the other hand, the DMK is hardly in a position to antagonise the Congress. With its principal rival the AIADMK eagerly waiting for an opportunity to strike an alliance

with the Congress, any move to rub the national party on the wrong side could prove suicidal in the polls, which are just five months away. In Tamil Nadu, alliance has come to be the key in determining victory or defeat.

For now, the DMK is yet to reveal its cards. So is the Congress.