A day before he threatened to review support to UPA govt on the latter's decision to sell NLC shares, Karunanidhi had a talk with Karat.
NEW DELHI: The DMK and the CPI(M) appear to have worked in tandem in aborting disinvestment of Nalco and Neyveli Lignite Corporation. A day before he went public, threatening to review support to the UPA government if the Centre went ahead with its decision to sell NLC shares, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had a telephonic talk with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat.
Communications minister Dayanidhi Maran then discussed the issue with CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury. While DMK opposed offloading of NLC shares, the CPI(M) took a strong stand against offloading of shares in both Nalco and NLC.
Soon after the Prime Minister announced the decision to hold all decisions and proposals on disinvestment, the CPI(M) said “there is no threat to the government.” Yechury met the PM and congratulated him on taking the decision.
CPI(M) sources said the Congress, which has stakes in the upcoming elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, could ill afford to overlook the widespread resentment against the government. Sources said Karunanidhi also feared that with the CPI(M) making a strong pitch against disinvestment, thousands of NLC employees may switch loyalty to the Left.
Neyveli employees end stir, as Karunanidhi carries the day
Arun Ram
CHENNAI: Employees of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) ended their three-day old strike late on Thursday evening after Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi arm twisted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into shelving disinvestment of 10% stake in the Central PSU.
With 20,000 employees of NLC striking work, power generation had fallen by more than 1,000 mega watt (MW) and Karunanidhi threatened to pull out his DMK ministers from the UPA government.
“When the Union government is not in a position to accept the demands of the workers, the DMK is thinking whether to continue in the Union government and be a party to the decision,” Karunanidhi said in a statement earlier in the day.
The NLC stir had put Karunanidhi in a spot. Grabbing her first big opportunity to hit out the DMK government, opposition leader J Jayalalithaa accused Karunanidhi of doing nothing to stop the disinvestment plans and declared solidarity with the striking staff.
Karunanidhi had earlier appealed to the Prime Minister that if a divestment was unavoidable; the Centre should allot the 10% shares to NLC employees.
Jayalalithaa ridiculed this as a drama to hoodwink the employees.
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