BJP Ministers told to prove their mettle

Welcome to Powertrip, a newsletter exclusively curated for TNM Subscribers. In this issue, we talk about BJP Rajya Sabha Ministers, BRS strategies against the Congress and Kamal Hassan's rumoured entry into the INDIA alliance. To read Powertrip every week, subscribe to TNM now..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only..Rajya Sabha MPs in Modi Cabinet told to earn their placeRajya Sabha members who are in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet have been given a diktat – to prepare to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. There are over 12 MPs who made it to the Cabinet through the Rajya Sabha route, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.“There can be a free ticket just once under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after that if need be they should be able to earn their place by winning,” a senior BJP leader tells TNM. “As ministers, most of them have been given exposure and time to connect with people. This should give them enough opportunities to build their electoral prospects and to contest elections.”But not all of them may be asked to vacate their Rajya Sabha seats, with the BJP high command having the final say on who will contest. Those who are likely to be exempt from the 2024 fight are former bureaucrats like Jaishankar and Ashwini Vaishnaw. Likewise, Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal may also get a free pass. “If the BJP comes back to power, Modi may not want to retain all of them in his cabinet. So those he wants to continue will not be made to prove their mettle. Others will have to pass the test if they have to be accommodated again,” the BJP source says.BRS strategises how to counter Congress’ poll guaranteesThe poll guarantees of the Congress appear to have ruffled the ruling BRS in Telangana. Party top brass has been strategising how to counter the Congress’ six guarantees, which include 200 units of free electricity per household, free bus passes for women, and Rs 2,500 as monthly assistance to women heads of households. The Congress had swept to power in neighbouring Karnataka after coming out with similar poll guarantees.Sources tell TNM that BRS leaders have given two suggestions to Chief Minister KCR for the party’s poll promises. The first is laptops for students while the second suggestion is an insurance scheme for women. KCR is mulling over these two ideas before it can find its way into the BRS’ manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections.Some leaders, however, say that KCR may choose not to come out with new welfare schemes and may instead enhance BRS’ existing ones, such as its flagship Dalit Bandhu, and increase the amount of pension under the Aasara scheme. As part of the Dalit Bandhu scheme, the government provides Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance for SC families to start a business venture, while under Aasara, senior citizens, widows, single women, and a number of other eligible groups are given over Rs 2,000 as monthly pension.Kamal’s MNM may soon join INDIA alliance via CongressKamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam may soon join the INDIA alliance. TNM has learnt that though formal talks are yet to begin, the groundwork has already begun for the actor-turned-politician’s entry into the alliance, with the Congress leading the negotiations.The MNM chief has been concentrating on four constituencies – Trichy, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Chennai South. He recently visited Coimbatore, where he instructed party workers to strengthen booth-level committees. The idea behind the spadework is to make sure that when formal seat-sharing talks begin, MNM can drive a hard bargain. DMK and Congress may be unwilling to part with more than one seat to Kamal’s party, with Coimbatore being mooted as the most likely option.Although the DMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu are not averse to Kamal joining the INDIA alliance, there is one sticking point. And that’s Kamal wanting to contest on MNM’s torchlight symbol as against the DMK’s rising sun symbol. The DMK is unhappy because it believes it will be difficult to get voters familiar with the MNM symbol, especially in a parliamentary election, where the constituency is large. Another alternative proposed is for Kamal’s party to contest on the Congress symbol, with MNM striking a deal with the grand old party..Zero HourA political story of public importance.The Khalistan stick.PowermovesTop 5 political stories.The non-Brahmins of Hindutva in Tamil Nadu As Telangana polls approach, uncertainty over BJP MLA Raja Singh’s suspensionPawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party says supported TDP despite being in NDAKerala atheist conference sees debate on Hindutva but ends up amplifying RW rhetoricChanging political dynamics in TN: Implications of AIADMK's exit from BJP alliance