Amit Shah’s crass dig at Rahul Gandhi & Congress’ focus on Adani | Powertrip #84

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. In this week, we cover why the Congress chose to intensify targeting Gautam Adani inside and outside the Parliament. The Congress has taken up Amit Shah’s crude dig at Rahul Gandhi at the India Today conclave with the channel’s management. In the Karnataka BJP, we learnt that a powerful lobby is behind MLA Yatnal’s rebellion against state president Vijayendra..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Adani or Sambhal?After the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections, dynamics within the Congress and the INDIA bloc have shifted significantly. Earlier, some senior Congress leaders were hesitant about targeting Gautam Adani, believing it to be an unwise strategy. Over time, however, most have aligned with Rahul Gandhi’s vision that targeting crony capitalism was a key political strategy, according to a Congress insider. This shift was evident in the party’s relentless protests inside and outside Parliament, mocking the close ties between Prime Minister Modi and Adani.The Congress appears undeterred by differing views from allies like the NCP. Though Supriya Sule joined the protest, NCP MP Amol Kolhe said in Parliament that other issues like those relating to farmers should get priority. One Congress leader said that they were not perturbed by this dual stand of the NCP as every party had its compulsions.In the case of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress leaders held discussions after SP pushed for a focus on the Sambhal police firing instead of Adani. “We told them that dedicating a full-day debate in Parliament to Sambhal would be disastrous, effectively handing BJP an opportunity to drive the Hindu-Muslim narrative. We explained that it’s better to prioritise Adani while allowing a few statements on Sambhal,” a Congress leader explained..Rahul Kanwal-Amit Shah crass interactionAt yet another conclave by the India Today group (we’ve lost track of how many they host each year), Home Minister Amit Shah took a crude jibe at Rahul Gandhi, leaving the Congress seething. With feigned innocence, Shah told an equally “innocent” Rahul Kanwal that Rahul Gandhi’s source of inspiration lies abroad. Kanwal, claiming not to grasp Shah’s insinuation, probed him further about this mysterious prerna. After some banter, the duo turned to the audience, where someone eagerly chimed in, suggesting that Rahul’s inspiration might be linked to the possibility of having a ‘Mrs’ abroad.A Congress leader revealed that they forwarded their angry tweets directly to Aroon Purie, Founder and Chairperson of the India Today Group. Another leader added that they formally complained to Purie about Rahul Kanwal’s show. However, the Congress remains skeptical, believing the channel will dismiss their objections as it has in the past.What’s more troubling, according to a Congress leader, is the precedent set by Amit Shah’s crass and personal attack. “This will likely become the norm for others in the BJP,” the leader said. “They sometimes push the envelope to see how far they can go. Shah has tested the waters and now they’ll take it forward.”Meanwhile, a third Congress leader declared with enthusiasm that the party would boycott Kanwal moving forward. When reminded that Congress leaders had breached their self-imposed ban on certain TV anchors before the Lok Sabha elections, the leader laughed, saying, “Well, we have many parties within one party.”.Who’s backing Yatnal and Manippady’s attack on Vijayendra?Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a senior BJP MLA in Karnataka, is often viewed as a rebel without a cause within the state BJP. But this time, his attacks on BS Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra seem more pointed and deliberate. Yatnal accused Vijayendra of indulging in “adjustment politics” with the ruling Congress and claimed to have incriminating documents and videos to back up his claims. In response, the BJP’s central disciplinary committee served him a show-cause notice.But Yatnal’s rebellion isn’t happening in isolation. There’s reportedly a powerful lobby within the Karnataka BJP backing him, and they seem to have a clear goal: to push Vijayendra out as state president. This group includes leaders like Aravind Limbavali, who’s disgruntled after being sidelined and is hoping to bag the post of BJP’s national general secretary; former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who blames Vijayendra for his son Bharath’s recent bye-poll loss, and Union Minister V Somanna,who sees Vijayendra as a major rival within the Lingayat community.Adding more fuel to the fire is the buzz about a reshuffle in the BJP leadership at the national level. With JP Nadda in the Union Cabinet, a new BJP national president is expected soon. This Karnataka lobby sees an opportunity—they want Vijayendra replaced as state president when the new national leadership takes charge. With that in mind, they’ve been pushing Yatnal to go all out against the Yediyurappa family. They even tried to get Yatnal a meeting with Amit Shah during his recent Delhi visit.Interestingly, a Union Minister from Karnataka reportedly tried hard to convince Amit Shah to meet Yatnal, but Shah wasn’t having any of it and firmly shut it down.Meanwhile, there’s another storm brewing around Anwar Manippady, the former Karnataka Minorities Commission chairman. Manippady initially claimed he was offered a Rs 150 crore bribe to suppress his report on Waqf property encroachments. However, he later clarified that it wasn’t Vijayendra but Congress leaders who approached him. Manippady is believed to be close to BL Santhosh, the BJP’s national general secretary (organisation), and has publicly said multiple times that he owes his political career to Santhosh’s support..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Allegations on Adani solar deal: Jagan Reddy’s defences don’t hold up.Bribery, as alleged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is not the only possible malfeasance here. Questions also surround the decisions taken by the Solar Energy Corporation of India, the Ministry of Power, and Jagan’s government..PowermovesTop 5 political stories1. Private schools in Karnataka overcharged Rs 345 cr during pandemic, says CAG2. KSU ends 30 years of SFI domination at Cusat campus in Kerala3. Vijay, DMK, and VCK: How a book launch has become the centre of Tamil Nadu’s politics4. Telangana govt announces 40% hike in funds allocated for food in residential schools5. The ‘trad wife’ aesthetic in India: Why it’s more political than personal

Amit Shah’s crass dig at Rahul Gandhi & Congress’ focus on Adani | Powertrip #84

Subscriber Picks