DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran resigned from the union cabinet as textiles minister on Thursday morning. Maran met prime minister Manmohan Singh at the latter's Race Course Road residence at around 11.45 this morning.

Sources in the prime minister's office have confirmed this but said that the government will make a formal announcement later this afternoon.

Maran's resignation comes a day after a CBI status report to the supreme court on the 2G probe claimed that he had shown "undue favours" to a Malaysian firm in the run-up to the spectrum  disbursal.

The prime minister's office conveyed a message to DMK MP T R Baalu early on Thursday morning. Baalu, according to sources, spoke to party chief M K Karunanidhi after which, at 11, Maran received a call from the patriarch, asking him to resign from the cabinet.

The minister then drove down to the prime minister's residence, resignation letter in hand. Meanwhile, Baalu, who is in the national capital to attend the joint parliamentary committee meeting on the scam, was seen speaking to party seniors in Chennai over the phone.

Related report:

Prez receives Maran's resignation letter in Thirupathi

President Pratibha Patil, who is in Thirupathi, received a fax of Maran's resignation from the prime minister's office. She is expected to send her approval of the resignation by today evening.