Cong hopeful of Maran's comeback to Cabinet

The contrite and conciliatory statements by former Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran have led the Congress to assume that the feud within the DMK family may be resolved in a while.

The Congress' top leadership, including party President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony and the political secretary to Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, went into a huddle today to discuss the latest crisis to hit the UPA.

According to top sources in the government, while there is talk that Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi may be brought to the Centre as a Rajya Sabha member and perhaps a central minister, Maran's return cannot be ruled out.

"This is a falling out between a grandfather and grandson, and if properly mediated, may blow over," said a senior minister.

"Maran has already appeared contrite and Karunanidhi has shown him his place. We think both sides will cool down now," said a senior minister. Others who know Tamil Nadu and Karunanidhi are not so sure. He is known as quick to anger and slow to forgive, they say.

While the issue of Maran's replacement is not difficult to resolve, for the Marans, separating business interests from the DMK may prove impossible. The office of SUN TV, headed by Kalanidhi Maran, the brother of the Union minister, is within the premises of the DMK headquarters. While work is on to build a new corporate office for the channels, this is yet to work out.

"The SunTV employees, however, are going to work and are not being harassed by th DMK cadre," said a party source.

What is more problematic is the cable network, which is controlled by the DMK cadre. It is not clear if they will continue to broadcast the SUN channels.

"Kalanidhi Maran is in the US and is expected back next week, Dayanidhi Maran, after an emotional press conference, has sequestered himself in Ooty," said a Sun TV employee.

"The business interests of the Maran family are so inextricably tied up with the DMK and the political establishment that its quite impossible to see how this will get resolved," he added.