Shankkar Aiyar: Hello.
Niira Radia: Haan,You met him ?
Shankkar Aiyar: Haan, I met him. So woh keh rahaa hai ki aisaa kuch hone waalaa hai nahiin. As far as he understands. (pause) they keep some portfolios (pause) with the PM
Niira Radia: They have kept IT, Labour and …. And .. this one. IT, Telecom, Labour and Chemicals & Fertilizers
Shankkar Aiyar: Haan, Chemicals & Fertilizers (pause) Maybe Steel also, they will keep themselves
Niira Radia: Steel. No . No. They have not kept Steel.
Shankkar Aiyar: Ok…ok…(then something inaudible, possibly to someone else in the same space)
Niira Radia: According to my Congress source Steel is not there. Chemical Fertilizer, IT, Telecom, and … and labour.
Shankkar Aiyar: Labour . Ok, ok, ok… chalo theek hai …. (almost as though to hang up)
Niira Radia: (interjecting) No, the thing I want to ask you is he in the house or where is he?
Shankkar Aiyar: No, he is in the house only
Niira Radia: How come Balu left? (word muffled)……hinted I didn’t want to give him infrastructure
Niira Radia: The PM said
Shankkar Aiyar: The minister hasn’t told me, someone else told me.
Niira Radia: What?
Shankkar Aiyar: They actually, some people here only told me, they okayed the names of the ministers – jaise telecom, velecom, IT, and then they said to Maran and T.R.Balu no for infrastructure portfolio.
Niira Radia: So, Chemical Fertilizer is so important.
Shankkar Aiyar: But it is not infrastructure development, naa…. (pause) infrastructure ke andar it's like – which depends on development further … chemical fertilizer industry which had issues – private sector and all these things. So it doesn’t have too much of a difference. They don’t want to give that. Baalu took it … ‘how can they do this to me’ …
Niira Radia: Hmmmm
Shankkar Aiyar: That’s why they are keeping labour
Niira Radia: Hmmmm
Shankkar Aiyar: (laughs)
Niira Radia: Hmmm … so they are giving the labour to him?
Shankkar Aiyar: He was not keen on Maran on..
Niira Radia: Who was not keen on Maran ?
Shankkar Aiyar: PM..
Niira Radia: PM, na? I know that. Media is unnecessarily creating non sense.
Niira Radia: The problem is, but the problem is that the Congress is not communicating this to DMK directly. They need to communicate this.
Shankkar Aiyar: They have communicated. Yesterday night.
Niira Radia: They have communicated ?
Shankkar Aiyar: They have communicated yesterday.
Niira Radia: Saying what ?
Shankkar Aiyar: Saying that (unclear word) … is ok and … and…
Niira Radia: (prompts) And ….?
Shankkar Aiyar: (noise still in background) That telecom is ok. Hmmm. Ha… But we cannot give more, other infrastructure because we don’t want to give it to Balu and Maran
Niira Radia: Haan Haan
Shankkar Aiyar: So there is a deadlock situation on.
Niira Radia: No. Now the question is that they have to say no to Maran and Balu, right ? and give Azagiri, Kanni & Raja
Shankkar Aiyar: They don’t want to give them cabinet berths … a new face
Niira Radia: Who. Congress ?
Male: Congress.
Niira Radia: No. no. they are giving Azagiri Cabinet, they said it is left up to the Leader to decide that.
Shankkar Aiyar: No, but they are only giving 3 naa. in that case
Niira Radia: Haan. To Maran ko drop karnaa padega, na
Shankkar Aiyar: Wahi problem hai naa saare ke saarii. Maran seems to have been offered MoS also.
Niira Radia: MoS toh di, par usne manaa kar diyaa.
Shankkar Aiyar: Haan. Let us see (pause 2 seconds) Tabhi toh I couldn’t speak to boss in detail. Because so many people were inside. (unclear word) , Family and all these things – who ever is camping. ____ had gone in, kehtaa hai ki baad me kuchh sulah ke baat karta hoon
Niira Radia: Hmmm …
Shankkar Aiyar: Theek hai…Once i get some more …
Niira Radia: Kanni told me that the Congress has not told us clearly. Not spelt out what they want. What they are telling us, they are telling through the media. They should meet my father and tell him directly. So it is contrary to what your minister is saying.
Shankkar Aiyar: Ok … I got this , yesterday late evening
Niira Radia: No she told me just now…
Shankkar Aiyar: (overlapping conversation): To theek hai, mein pata karvaataa hoon….
Niira Radia: Haan, because I just relayed that message to Congress
Shankkar Aiyar: Haan. Haan.
Niira Radia: If they don’t want Maran …
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(recording ends abruptly)
Transcribed by GG and checked by OL
