Ajay.U.K

“There are so many seniors who should be given precedence. Raveendranath may be our only victorious candidate, but both father and son cannot enjoy such positions of power.”

– Senior Leader, AIADMK

Much to the disappointment of AIADMK, the party failed to secure a place in the Union Council of Ministers as friction within the party cost them some consolation after their heavy defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Looks like no representation for Tamil Nadu in the Union Ministry. Very unfortunate. #ModiSarkar2

— Sumanth Raman (@sumanthraman) May 30, 2019

With BJP offering just one seat, Reports suggested that a disagreement broke out within the party as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi.K.Palanisami wanted Vaithilingam, a close aide to the late J.Jayalalitha and opposed Deputy CM O Paneerselvam who floated the idea of getting his son a Cabinet berth. Speaking to Times Of India, A senior leader under the condition of anonymity said, “There are so many seniors who should be given precedence. Raveendranath may be our only victorious candidate, but both father and son cannot enjoy such positions of power.”

The NDA ally is going down the drain once again after their alliance with BJP and PMK as no representatives from Tamil Nadu has made it into the Narendra Modi Government. The induction of either Raveendranath or Vaithilangam would have marked the return of AIADMK in the last 20 years.

During the second term of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999, a total of 4 AIADMK members were nominated. M Thambi Durai, Former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Sedapatti. R . Muthiah, former TN Assembly speaker as part of the cabinet ministry and R.K Kumar and Kadambur M.R. Janardhanam as MoS. All of them had quit one month following ideological clashes with the government. Thambi Durai, even though AIADMK was not part of the NDA alliance was made the deputy speaker in 2014 with backing from the BJP.

The DMK on the other hand was at the Centre since 1996, shifting their loyalty to different governments formed.

Sources from The Hindu said AIADMK could have limited the embarrassment by opting out of the Union Ministry like the JD(U) and could have been just a part of the NDA government.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar: They wanted only 1 person from JDU in the cabinet, so it would have been just a symbolic participation.We informed them that it is ok we don't need it. It is not a big issue, we are fully in NDA and not upset at all.We are working together,no confusion. pic.twitter.com/AsDa8EUnUN

— ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2019

However, the inclusion of S.Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman has pleased some of the people in Tamil Nadu.

Politicians from TN may not have found place in the union cabinet but Tamils as such have not been ignored. We have Nirmala Sitharaman & S Jaishankar in cabinet ranks. Feel happy.

— Mohamed Imranullah S (@imranhindu) May 30, 2019