New Delhi: Dayanidhi Maran's loss has been a big gain for little-known DMK MP Radhika Selvi, who has been given a ministerial berth in the Union Cabinet as a minister of state.
DMK MP A Raja, who was holding the Environment and Forests portfolio, has been elevated and given the charge of Maran's portfolios. Another DMK leader, Minister of State for Home S Regupathy, has been moved to the Environment Ministry in the same rank.
Radhika represents the Tiruchendur in Lok Sabha. She will be administered the oath by President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on May 18. However, the portfolio of Radhika Selvi has not been announced yet.
The induction of Selvi comes in the wake of the resignation of Maran following a rift between him and the DMK leadership, following the attack on the office of the Tamil daily Dinakaran in Madurai, which is owned by Maran's elder brother Kalanidhi Maran.
The attack was allegedly carried out by the supporters of MK Alagiri, the elder son of DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, in protest against an opinion poll on the political heir of Karunanidhi. Three employees of the newspaper were killed in the attack.
Subsequently, the DMK administrative committee sought the removal of Dayanidhi Maran from the Union Cabinet and authorized Karunanidhi and DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan to take suitable action in this regard.
The DMK leadership then sent Treasurer Arcot N Veerasamy to submit a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi to carry out the changes in the representation of the DMK in the Union Cabinet. Following this, Raja was given the charge of Maran's portfolio.
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