Only Baalu from DMK at UPA dinner (Lead)
May 22nd, 2011 - 4:54 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi/Chennai, May 22 (IANS) DMK ministers will skip the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) second anniversary dinner to be hosted at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence Sunday evening, but the party will have a token representation at the bash - T.R. Baalu.
“Parliamentary party chief T.R. Baalu will attend it (the dinner),” DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi told reporters in Chennai Sunday, two days after his daughter and DMK MP Kanimozhi was sent to jail in connection with the 2G scam.
None of the six DMK ministers in the Manmohan Singh government - including two cabinet rank ministers M.K. Alagiri and Dayanidhi Maran - will be present at the UPA bash that is likely to be attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and top leaders of the UPA constituents.
With 18 MPs, the DMK is the third largest constituent in the UPA coalition after the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.
Relations between the DMK and the Congress have appeared to be strained following the arrest of Kanimozhi.
Asked about the ties with the Congress, Karunanidhi said: “It is not like what you think.”
The DMK chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Saturday night discussed with other party leaders the issue of attending the UPA anniversary dinner as ministers and MPs reached Chennai from Delhi.
DMK sources in Delhi said the party was in no mood to celebrate the completion of two years of the UPA as Kanimozhi was in jail.
Sources in Chennai told IANS that Karunanidhi had received the dinner invitation from Manmohan Singh and decided not to attend the dinner.
Karunanidhi also said he would be going to Delhi Monday and may not meet Sonia Gandhi.
- DMK's Baalu to attend UPA second anniversary - May 22, 2011
- Karunanidh to visit Delhi Monday, Baalu to attend UPA anniversary (Third Lead) - May 22, 2011
- Only Baalu from DMK at UPA dinner (Second Lead) - May 22, 2011
- Karunanidhi in Delhi, to meet Kanimozhi in jail - May 23, 2011
- Karunanidhi reaches Tihar Jail to meet Kanimozhi (Lead) - May 23, 2011
- Quiet dinner, promises mark UPA-II's second anniversary - May 22, 2011
- Baalu lone DMK leader at UPA anniversary event - May 22, 2011
- Karunanidhi meets Kanimozhi, Raja, Sharad Kumar in Tihar (Second Lead) - May 23, 2011
- DMK downsizes, BSP boycotts UPA function (Lead) - May 23, 2011
- UPA's second anniversary: Uncertainty over DMK ministers' presence - May 22, 2011
- DMK ministers to resign from Union Cabinet tomorrow - Mar 06, 2011
- Baalu meets Sonia - Jan 05, 2011
- DMK to take legal action in 2G spectrum case - Apr 27, 2011
- Ministers to resign Monday, no contact from Congress: DMK (Night Lead) - Mar 07, 2011
- DMK ministers to resign Monday - Mar 06, 2011
Tags: anniversary dinner, cabinet rank, chennai, chief minister, congress president sonia gandhi, dayanidhi maran, dinner invitation, dmk ministers, m karunanidhi, manmohan, manmohan singh, parliamentary party, party chief, party leaders, patriarch, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, progressive alliance, tamil nadu, trinamool congress