Chennai: The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) on May 24 said there would be no replacement for Gingee Ramachandran, who resigned as Union Minister of State for Finance, expressing the hope he would be reinducted into the government on the lines of George Fernandes's re- entry after the Tehelka scam.

It also felt that Ramachandran's resignation would not affect MDMK's relationship with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Party's presidium chairman L Ganesan said that there was no need for a replacement for Ramachandran as he was not involved in any corruption.

Expressing the hope that he would be reinducted after some time, Ganesan said there was a precedent for such a reinduction when Defence Minister George Fernandes who had resigned after the Tehelka scam was reinducted into the Cabinet.

Admitting that Perumalswamy's arrest had caused some "damage" to MDMK, Ganesan said Ramachandran was not involved in any corruption. "We will come out with a clean image after the CBI investigation is over," he said.

Asserting that Ramachandran's resignation from the ministry would not affect MDMK's relationship with the NDA, Ganesan said though the party wanted the CBI probe into the graft charges against Perumalswamy to be quickly completed, it had not demanded any time frame for that.

Asked whether he suspected any conspiracy in the episode, Ganesan replied in the negative and said he would not answer any hypothetical questions.

Ganesan said party supremo Vaiko, a Pota detenu lodged at Vellore prison, had expressed shock over the matter when he called on him on May 23.

PTI