PMK seeks more berth in UPA ministry

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will be demanding one more berth in the Union Cabinet. PMK veteran leader S Ramadoss met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday and will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today to discuss the issue, sources said.

In the context of DMK MPs meeting the Prime Minister on October 5, the PMK's attempt to claim the one more Cabinet seat due to it becomes significant. The PMK has a quota of three berths in the ministry, of which only two have are occupied presently.

Of these, Anbumani Ramadoss is has Health and the other berth is occupied by R Velu who is the Minister of State for Railways. While it is not clear which portfolios the PMK will demand, sources said that the party might be eyeing the coal ministry.

The DMK delegation which met the Prime Minister on Tuesday was led by Dayanidhi Maran. Though officially the MPs met the PM to discuss the removal of the Tamil Nadu Governor, unofficially there might have been talk of juggling portfolios.

The effort by the two Tamil allies to secure more powerful berths will have a direct bearing on their relations in state politics.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has been trying to unsettle the DMK's alliance in Tamil Nadu which includes the PMK, the MDMK, the INC, the Left parties and the IUML, constituting the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA).

The PMK with a strong hold in North Tamil Nadu is an important constituent of the DPA. If the PMK were to break away from the DPA, the DMK's position in the coming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, slated for May 2006 would be considerably weakened.

Lately there has been talk of AIADMK's overtures towards the PMK. While this maybe posturing on part of the AIADMK and given that the PMK may not be keen to join an AIADMK led alliance, the PMK's bargaining power vis a vis the DMK would be considerably enhanced if it played it's cards right.

The PMK's demand for another cabinet berth is as much an attempt to consolidate its position in state politics as much as to bring about a measure of balance in its equation with the DMK at the Centre.