“PM is very soft-spoken, and dad can’t hear clearly”

Ask Ghulam to call me and talk to me. I’ll be here around, you know —KANIMOZHI

Ask Ghulam to call me and talk to me. I’ll be here around, you know —KANIMOZHI

The ‘he’ appears to be Dayanidhi Maran, who, along with TR Baalu, seems to be having trouble finding infrastructure-related portfolios in UPA II. Here, Niira Radia conveys that information to Kanimozhi

KANI: Hello.

RADIA: Kani, apparently they relayed to your father yesterday.

KANI: Mm-hmm.

RADIA: That they do not want to give any infrastructure portfolio to [TR] Balu or Maran.

KANI: Yeah… who told it?

RADIA: No, no. He was told apparently very, very clearly…

KANI: No, he was not… That is the problem. Who came and told him?

RADIA: They came in or, you know, told him or they must have spoken to him and Prime Minister spoke to him.

KANI: No. Prime Minister did not. I was the one who was talking with him. I was on the phone and… Prime Minister, said a few words, that’s all. And see, Prime Minister can’t talk on a phone to dad and convey obviously… Prime Minister is also, you know, very soft spoken and dad can’t hear that clearly also.

RADIA: Mm-hmm.

KANI: And the conversation was not so long that they could have conveyed all that.

RADIA: Mm-hmm.

KANI: They might have told somebody else that. You don’t know whether that person has conveyed it only na…

RADIA: … Okay. Let me find out who they conveyed it to. My God, there is so many people working on the thing, it’s unbelievable… I’m going to just tell them again, yeah. I’ll call you back then.

KANI: And see, one more thing is that one of them can call; Ghulam can call me and tell me.

RADIA: That’s right.

KANI: And I can go and tell dad, but somebody has to come and say yes they’ve said it. So otherwise it would reflect very badly on me.

RADIA: Right. Right. Okay. Okay. Listen, I’m meeting your mom [Rajathi Ammal—Karunanidhi’s companion] at 12:30 hopefully.

KANI: Okay. I’m here, I’m around.

RADIA: Okay.

KANI: You please don’t tell this to mom, she will mess it up and go and tell some rubbish.

RADIA: No, no, no, no.

KANI: …Ask Ghulam to call me and talk to me. I’ll be here around, you know.

RADIA: Okay. Okay.

As portfolios start being allotted, the DMK appears to be suffering a bout of infighting. Radia and Kanimozhi discuss the prospect of Maran playing negotiator, but drop the idea

KANI: Hello.

RADIA: Kani, one feedback that’s coming back from Congress is that, that you’ve not even declared who your official negotiator is. Five, five people are negotiating at the same time. If your dad also appoint(s) one person who is going to negotiate what everybody has done, then the problem gets solved.

KANI: Hey Niira, what can I do Niira? I really can’t do anything about it.

RADIA: You can’t tell them to appoint the official negotiator?

KANI: You know OK, we’ll have to say it’s Dayanidhi Maran.

RADIA: Well, I don’t think he will. Do you think he will say that?

KANI: He will…

RADIA: Well, then you might as well not have an official negotiator…

KANI: See that is a problem…

RADIA: The meeting is, the meeting is still going on. So, it’s, you know, when it’s over I’ll call you.

KANI: See, that is the only big problem, no. None of us want to push for it. If he’s going to become anyway.

RADIA: Yeah.

KANI: I mean, I can just completely, you see, I’m perfectly all right but if dad is going to say he is [too]. But then it become(s) such a self-serving thing, no.

RADIA: Is he staying back for the swearing-in?

KANI: No. What happened is, he [Maran] was supposed to leave with dad. Once he knew that I’m taking a later flight, he’s changed his flight to a later one.

RADIA: Good God. So, he is also not going for the swearing-in?

KANI: No, no. He is not going.

RADIA: Mm-hmm.

KANI: And then because I just want to stay back for the [inaudible] and take a later flight, he also wants to.

RADIA: My God. You know, he is watching everything you’re doing…

Win some, lose some. Kanimozhi becomes the DMK negotiator, but Maran still seems to have Karunanidhi’s ear. Radia suggests that Kanimozhi use her influence as Karunanidhi’s daughter to ‘save the party’

KANI: Hello.

RADIA: Hi. Listen, they’re caught up in a meeting, but they are going to speak to you.

KANI: Pardon?

RADIA: They are going to speak to you. That message has gone to them. What also I have just mentioned to them is that you’re not, only Raja was supposed to have gone to the swearing-in.

KANI: Yeah… Daya [Maran] is going, no?

RADIA: Daya is not talking to Ahmed Patel… I don’t know who Daya is talking to.

KANI: …Daya is going to the swearing-in, no?

RADIA: No, that’s what I’ve heard from Congress, that he [Maran] has given his name, that he is going to the swearing-in…

KANI: I don’t know, he is supposed to come back with me…

RADIA: Yeah, but your dad should be told, no?

KANI: That is what. He will come and give some stupid cock and bull story to him. He will say Ahmed Patel [Rajya Sabha MP, and political secretary to Sonia Gandhi]… called. He said at least you should come, you’re the only representative, that you’re the face of DMK. If you’re not there, it won’t be good.

RADIA: If your dad were to say to him that I only authorised Raja to go…

KANI: No, dad won’t, no way…

RADIA: Yeah, but then your father has to understand it; he’s not understanding, so you have to tell him that.

KANI: How do I make him understand? I keep telling, he doesn’t understand.

RADIA: Who is going to make him understand? Only you can do that… You’re his daughter, so he can listen to you. You have to use your position, Kani, you have to. If you want to save the party, you’re going to have to use it.

KANI: I’ll do my best.

RADIA: Yeah, you take care, I’ll call you.

KANI: Anyway, I’ll be leaving to the airport at 4 o’clock.

RADIA: Yeah, that doesn’t matter… they’ll call you in Chennai, but they’ll know that they have to speak to you.

KANI: Then, I’ll be reaching Chennai around 7:30 [inaudible].

RADIA: Then, when they call you, you just tell them, you please come to Chennai if you want to talk, whatever you want to talk come…

The Congress seems to cede the Telecom portfolio to the DMK. Here, Kanimozhi tells Radia to ensure that somebody from the Congress should speak favourably about A Raja to Karunanidhi

KANI: Hello

RADIA: It’s not true Kani. So why should we tell him, there’s no need?

KANI: No, no, I will just make sure because he is trying to spread the thing that…

RADIA: No, no, no. Prime Minister has already clarified that… we’re still in the middle of discussing…

KANI: … They’ve already told us they’ll give us telecom; now it shouldn’t be given to him [Maran] because he is going around planting the stories…

RADIA: Yes, I know that and then I spoke to Raja. I spoke to Chennai also. I got an input as to what has happened. I went back and told the channels that there’s no deal that has been closed… Janardan Dwivedi was the one who made the statement that the deal has been closed with the DMK; there is no need for us to travel to Chennai. Then the channels asked the Prime Minister.

KANI: Yea, yea. That I know. I’m just saying be careful, because he’s trying to get somebody from the Congress [to] say things against Raja to dad.

RADIA: Nobody said… the Prime Minister has not made a statement.

KANI: Not the Prime Minister. When they come to meet dad…

RADIA: Agreed. But Kani, the Prime Minister has just made a statement that I have no problem with Raja and Baalu; they’re my esteemed colleagues…

KANI: He can make a statement, but whoever is going to come and talk to dad shouldn’t talk otherwise. Because, see, what people say outside and what actually they mean is very different, and all of us know that in politics… That is, for public appearances we do a lot of things. So I’m just saying make sure that whoever is going to come and talk doesn’t talk against this guy…

RADIA: Well, okay. Yea, I spoke to Raja also.

KANI: See, Raja is one person who will say… everything is okay.

RADIA: Yes, yes, yes. I don’t think Congress is in any mood to discuss what portfolio should be taken; they’re going to leave it to your father…

KANI: No, no. I’m saying all that is fine. But they shouldn’t come and say anything because I’m sure they will come and say something against Baalu.

RADIA: Yes, Baalu, they are saying. They’re saying against Baalu.

KANI: No, but they also want to say, I think, against Raja… Even one line against him will definitely take, move it to this guy. Actually they say that we’re very happy to give it to Raja because he did a good job and things like that. Then… it will work in his favour…

Kanimozhi and Radia discuss how to isolate Dayanidhi Maran, and keep the Telecom portfolio away from him

KANI: Hello.

RADIA: Hi, Kani.

KANI: Hi, Niira.

RADIA: I spoke to them again whether they would speak to the CM and give him some message, but they haven’t taken a call. I think what is being spread right now is that the infrastructure should not be given to Baalu and Raja, when actually what is being said is that it should not be given to Maran and Baalu. So there is also a view that, he [Maran] hasn’t met Sonia Gandhi, I have confirmed that.

KANI: Yeah, even I found out.

RADIA: Yeah, he has not met and I believe that he has indicated to somebody that he has met your father separately and had a meeting with him and briefed him on Delhi and your father had told him to quietly have a meeting in Delhi on his own.

KANI: No, that’s not true… dad hasn’t said anything. Today dad has been told that nobody who is actually interested in joining the Cabinet should be allowed to negotiate.

RADIA: Correct, correct. Absolutely, yeah.

KANI: Dad is quite okay with that.

RADIA: Yeah, yeah. So I guess that’s the better way to do it, no?

KANI: He is just lying… we only asked telecom for Raja.

RADIA: Correct, correct.

KANI: If they have problems, they wouldn’t have given it back to us.

RADIA: They said exactly that… that infrastructure is telecom; we don’t have any problem with it. But what he’s done is he has used that very cleverly by saying infrastructure is not, because Raja and Baalu are not welcome; I’m the only one now who fits for telecom. Because he doesn’t want to go to labour or chemical fertiliser.

KANI: He doesn’t want to go because it’s not good for his image… You should tell them also Niira, he is the one who is actually creating half the problem.

RADIA: I did that, yeah. This morning, all my messages to everyone went that… he is the only one. And I explained the whole Alagiri aspect, that they have to understand that he is a mass leader. And in any case, in any party, priority would always go to a mass leader.

KANI: Exactly… We have other elections coming… We do not want to antagonise all his followers also.

RADIA: Yes, correct… I don’t think they have a problem with him, by the way. They don’t have a problem with Alagiri. Congress has no problem with him.

KANI: … But this guy is the one who wants telecom and he is spreading rumours, but I don’t think even the DMK is interested in giving him telecom…

A Raja’s ministerial portfolio seems to have been decided, even though the news will formally come out only around 29 May. Kanimozhi now asks Radia about her role in the new government

KANI: Hello.

RADIA: Hi, good morning.

KANI: Sorry for I wake you up… I just wanted to know, I mean, what they are planning to give for me?

RADIA: Mm-hmm… I told you last night. I called after we spoke and I said that, you know, look at the health option. But give her environment and forest; otherwise if the health is not there, independent charge, consider the aviation one. You know that’s the three I had said… They weren’t sure.

KANI: Even tourism is not worth it?

RADIA: Tourism independent charge they will not give you, Kani, because Ghulam Nabi Azad has still not [been] given his [portfolio]; he wants something more than, what you call it. He has got only parliamentary affairs, you know.

KANI: Okay.

RADIA: That’s why. So, I did mention tourism because I don’t know… they will keep it up to Cabinet post…

KANI: Okay… I’ve given the list of that…

RADIA: What did you give the list on? And what did you tell them?

KANI: I just gave environment, health, and tourism and culture also… They said they will check it out.

RADIA: Mm-hmm.

KANI: Maybe I’ll ask for environment. Environment they won’t give, health they won’t give, you know?

RADIA: Health I think, they have already allocated…

KANI: Environment they will give, you know?

RADIA: Independent charge? Yeah. You gave a list this morning, yeah?

KANI: Yeah…

RADIA: You didn’t put Aviation, Kani?

KANI: You know, just Aviation… No problem.

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