AIADMK may find place in Modi Cabinet

Chennai: Though a final picture has not yet emerged, there are chances of the AIADMK finding place in the new Cabinet of Narendra Modi in his second innings as Prime Minister.

"We have not yet received any formal communication, but there is possibility", state information minister Kadambur C Raju said here Wednesday.

He told reporters that since the AIADMK has been a trusted and strong ally for the BJP, the party is most likely to get the call for nominating its MP to be in the Union Cabinet. And when such an invitation comes from the BJP/PMO, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam would jointly take the decision on who should be recommended among the party's 13 members in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, minister Raju said.

Asked how the AIADMK would be able to secure any development or welfare project for Tamil Nadu from the Centre, given its low presence in the Parliamnt, Raju said the party MPs would indeed strive to get the state's due share from the Centre. "On the other hand, the DMK members would be busy staging walk-outs from the Parliament just as they did in the State Assembly. People are going to regret their decision to elect these DMK members, he said.

There has been speculation for some time now that the first-time MP P Raveendranath Kumar of Theni might get a berth as junior minister and that his father and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has been working for it. Kumar was the lone winner among the AIADMK candidates in the Lok Sabha poll.

On the other hand, sources said Rajya Sabha member Vaithilingam, a favourite of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, could get the call for being sworn in. The Thanjavur strongman was the housing minister during Jayalalithaa's tenure as CM, 2011-16.

BJP sources said the state unit of the party has "strongly conveyed" to the high command that at least one BJP leader from the state should be accommodated in the Cabinet as that would help in the party growing in the Dravidian turf.