A DMK huddle in Coorg to discuss debacle | Powertrip #152

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter curated exclusively for subscribers of The News Minute and Newslaundry. This week’s edition is by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna.In this edition, we spoke to sources about a key discussion among the DMK top brass. There have been talks about a potential reconciliatory approach towards the BJP but not everyone is agreeable.And while the Congress will apparently reach out to the DMK for talks, is the latter amenable is the question.Next we give you a peek into the Mamata-Kejriwal meeting that happened just before the INDIA bloc gathering..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only The BJP question for the DMKThe DMK’s top brass, including party president MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son-in-law and political strategist Sabareesan, former minister Anbil Mahesh, and others, took some time off over the past week and huddled in Coorg, Karnataka.According to sources, several rounds of discussions were held on the electoral debacle faced by the party. The objective of this brainstorming session was to finalise the future course of action and identify changes to be made to the party structure.One key issue discussed at the meeting was the party’s approach towards the BJP. This discussion has happened between other leaders of the party too.The Indian Express reported BJP sources saying that they are already in talks with the DMK over garnering support for crucial bills. Sources in the DMK we asked said that no formal talks have happened and the discussions are just rudimentary with some leaders agreeing and some skeptical about it. Sources also told TNM that some leaders raised concerns about how the party could justify going soft on the BJP after years of stridently opposing it.One strain of thought, however, is that they can extend support for certain bills that the DMK is not ideologically or historically opposed to, such as the One India, One Election bill. One leader told us that late former CM M Karunanidhi was not averse to the idea and the party may think in the direction of supporting the bill.Meanwhile, the TVK, which does not want the BJP and DMK cosying up to each other, has given the go-ahead to file FIRs against senior DMK leaders, including KN Nehru and V Senthil Balaji. This could pave the way for the Enforcement Directorate to initiate action against them. The question then is whether the BJP would be keen to unleash the ED on DMK. Will Congress talk to DMK?As we have reported, the meeting of the INDIA bloc saw many allies, including the Left parties, the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, and Nationalist Congress Party, voicing their disappointment with the Congress over its treatment of the DMK. It was eventually agreed that the INDIA bloc would persuade the DMK to sign a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India on the problems with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.We are also hearing that there have been internal discussions within the Congress about a national leader of the party initiating talks with the DMK. While the contours of what exactly this leader would seek are not yet clear, there is a view that the channel of communication with the DMK should not be cut off.However, DMK leaders we spoke to said that, for now, Stalin is in no mood to speak to or entertain the Congress’s overtures. Kejriwal open to state-level allianceNow to a story that’s not from the south. Before the INDIA bloc meeting, TMC leader Mamata Banerjee had met AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal. AAP had decided to stay away from the INDIA bloc since December 2025, alleging that the Congress was more concerned about winning for itself than for the alliance.While the meeting itself has been widely reported, we have learnt that the two leaders spoke about AAP being ideologically part of the INDIA bloc. Kejriwal reportedly told Mamata that he does not mind the Congress contesting against his party in both Punjab and Goa. He was also open to the idea of building alliances in these two states with other like-minded parties. Zero HourA political story of public importanceHow India’s ambitious plan to curb unhealthy food failed.The Modi government in 2017 launched a plan to combat foods high in fat, salt and sugar. In the first part of a new series, we examine why it never took off. PowermovesTop 5 political stories‘This is a Sangh village’: Inside Kerala’s new Hindutva strongholdsHow many died from heat in Telangana? The answer depends on who’s countingWhat happened at the INDIA bloc meeting? Pushback against Congress, conciliatory endAuroville residents voice concern over self-governance and ecologyRevanth says HYDRAA named after Hitler’s ‘core team’, draws criticism for Nazi reference