New Delhi, Nov 15 : Amid speculation that she will succeed A Raja as Telecom Minister, DMK MP Kanimozhi today said a decision on the issue will be taken by party president M Karunanidhi, even as she made it clear that the alliance with Congress is "as strong as ever".
Another DMK MP and former Union Minister T R Baalu, who is also said to be in the race to succeed Raja, also spoke in the same vain and said as of now the plum Telecom portfolio will be with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
A day after Raja resigned under relentless pressure from opposition parties, speculation was rife that either Kanimozhi or Baalu may be inducted into the Union Cabinet to fill the slot vacated by Raja.
Besides Raja, DMK has two cabinet ministers and four ministers of state.
Both Kanimozhi and Baalu said a decision on a new nominee will be taken by Karunanidhi and maintained that Raja and the party took the "conscious" decision just to allow smooth functioning of Parliament.
"It is a decision of DMK and Mr Raja that Parliament should function smoothly. It is a decision taken by them," she said.
On speculation that she was one of the prime contenders for a cabinet berth, she said, "Let us not speculate much into the issue. I have no comments to offer on this issue." PTI
She said her party leaders will take a call on the new nominee.Baalu said, "The conscious decision was taken to allow Parliament function."
Backing beleaguered A Raja, Kanimozhi said he has not been found guilty in connection with alleged irregularites in 2G spectrum allocation and had resigned as Telecom Minister merely to allow smooth functioning of Parliament.
"I do not think Raja has been found guilty. He has resigned from the post because the DMK wants Parliamnet to function," Kanimozhi told PTI.
"I do not know about it," was her reply to a query on whether she would be the next Telecom Minister.
