Karunanidhi in Delhi to lobby for cabinet berths

Ahead of the government formation at the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday arrived in New Delhi to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss cabinet berths for his party MPs in the new UPA dispensation.

Karunanidhi was accompanied by son Azhagiri and grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister is expected to hold discussions with top Congress leaders on composition of the new Cabinet and council of ministers.

Karunanidhi will also discuss cabinet berths and ministries that his party would like to have in the UPA government, DMK sources said.

The DMK won 18 seats in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in the state, which include that of Karunanidhi's son Azhagiri, who won from Madurai, and Maran who emerged victorious from the Central Chennai.

DMK's alliance partner Congress won eight Lok Sabha seats in the state. Congress also won the Puducherry seat. Another alliance partner Vidudhalai Thiruthaidal managed to win the lone seat of Chidambaram.