Gujral favours TMC at our expense: DMK

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu is unhappy over the ministerial changes initiated by Prime Minister I K Gujral.

The Tamil Maanila Congress has been given more importance at the DMK's expense, said party sources. ''We are unhappy, but won't complain or upset the apple-cart. However, we would like to say that the prerogative of the prime minister in such cases can lead to a no-win situation in the long run, as Deve Gowda found out to his dismay,'' said a DMK leader.

Without consulting the United Front steering committee, the prime minister has installed a Cabinet minister over Minister of State for Petroleum T R Baalu, a DMK nominee. ''Besides downgrading us for no obvious reasons, the move indicates that Gujral is taking a circuitous route to answer our reservations about a hike in petroleum prices, as aired by Baalu,'' said the DMK leader.

And, to add insult to the injury, a TMC minister has been elevated. ''From labour, M Arunachalam has been shifted to chemicals and fertilisers. You cannot blame the DMK men if they find the move discriminatory.''

Equally significant is the shifting of Minister of State M P Veerendra Kumar of the Janata Dal from the finance ministry. Veerendra Kumar, it is said, was positioned there by Deve Gowda to check Chidambaram.

Add TMC leader Jayanti Natarajan's induction as minister of state for civil aviation and parliamentary affairs to the scheme of things, the source said, and the DMK has little doubt that Gujral values the TMC more than the DMK.