Maran, Kanhimozhi in race to replace Raja

As Telecom Minister A Raja finally quit, speculation was rife that either party MP and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi or Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran could replace him. Though there was no official word on who would hold the Telecom portfolio, indications were available that either Kanimozhi or Maran, both from the DMK's first family, may be the next in line.

Maran had earlier held the plum portfolio during his tenure as a Cabinet Minister from 2004 to 2007 when he was forced to quit following a family feud, while Kanimozhi is a Rajya Sabha MP.

Sources said if Kanimozhi

opts out from the race to be part of the Manmohan Singh cabinet, party veteran and former Union Minister T R Baalu may be inducted. In that case, the sources said, Baalu could be given Textiles Ministry, which is now being held by Maran, and Maran may shift to Telecom.

DMK sources hoped that the Congress would allot Telecom portfolio to the party despite Raja resigning. There was another theory doing rounds in the DMK circles that a Dalit may be inducted into the Cabinet so that the vote bank is retained. Raja has been projected as the Dalit face of the Dravidian party, which has 18 MPs in Lok Sabha.