Cautious enthusiasm within Congress on ‘vote-chori’ | Powertrip #114

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna and Shabbir Ahmed. While the electoral roll manipulation allegations by Rahul Gandhi have created quite a stir across the country, the Congress is looking to keep the momentum going till the Bihar elections. In Tamil Nadu, while Annamalai’s supporters wait for his much-speculated elevation, the fault lines within the state BJP unit appear to be widening. CP Radhakrishnan appears to be in the race for Vice President of India, but he could face a hiccup because of language..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Cautious enthusiasm within Congress on ‘vote-chori’After Rahul Gandhi’s press meet in Delhi and the protest in Bengaluru over allegations that the BJP had manipulated electoral rolls in Mahadevpura, the reaction within the Congress has been mixed. One section of the party is enthused that they have finally taken up an issue that will strike a chord with the people, with leaders from various states joining the bandwagon. The plan politically is that the protest will continue till the Bihar elections are over. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted in Bihar is riddled with problems, so there is an urgent need to keep the momentum going. But there is also discussion on how to move on the issue legally, in a way that they get relief not just for one constituency like Mahadevpura but at scale. So Congress leaders have been told to find electoral discrepancies in other places, which is keeping them busy at the moment.The other reaction within the party is scepticism – that electoral rolls are not perfect across India, especially in urban areas where a lot of the population migrates in and out. So they believe highlighting electoral issues in an urban area like Mahadevpura will not help the party strategically in the long run. Also, this could lead to complacency where if someone loses an election they can simply blame it on faulty electoral rolls. So some leaders suggest that while they can question the Election Commission, the Congress should not slip into this notion that they are losing elections only because of electoral roll manipulation..A restless AnnamalaiThe unease in Annamalai’s camp is growing as there is still no clarity on his much-speculated elevation. There had been talk that he would be made a Member of Parliament (MP) and promoted to a national-level role, but nothing has materialised so far.Sources in the BJP, however, indicate that “something” is likely to work in his favour in September. Until then, Annamalai’s supporters are keeping up the pressure. Multiple social media accounts supporting him have popped up in recent weeks, and posters suggesting that he may launch his own organisation are also being circulated widely. One such letterhead, bearing the name Annamalai Anbu Kootam, has been making the rounds on media platforms, triggering massive speculation within the BJP. It is to be noted that Annamalai has not distanced himself from these posts.In the meantime, state BJP president Nainar Nagenthiran has built his own team. Despite this, differences within the Tamil Nadu unit persist. Annamalai has been firmly against a BJP–AIADMK alliance, while most other state leaders are in favour of it.The fault lines became evident during a recent event attended by BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh in Chennai. There, Santhosh issued a strict and categorical warning to all BJP leaders not to criticise the AIADMK alliance and to follow the party line. He made it clear that the central leadership would not tolerate indiscipline in handling alliance partners. This has left Nagenthiran’s camp jubilant, as they believe Santhosh’s warning was aimed squarely at Annamalai’s faction.At the same meeting, Annamalai delivered a one-hour PowerPoint presentation on the “DMK ecosystem” in Tamil Nadu. He alleged that the DMK has built its media influence by owning several outlets, strengthening its presence in new media, and dominating digital platforms by creating supportive groups. He also named journalists and political analysts who, according to him, are sympathetic to the DMK, and urged the BJP leadership to adopt the same formula and use pro-right-wing personalities to amplify the party’s messaging.Annamalai also made a strong pitch for the creation of a “war room” in Tamil Nadu ahead of the elections. However, this idea had already been rejected by Nagenthiran, who had earlier ordered the dismantling of all independently operated war rooms and warned leaders against running them outside the party’s official structure..CPR is the next Vice President candidate?Of late, a host of political party leaders have been meeting MK Stalin at his residence, and the official line is: “They called on Chief Minister MK Stalin to inquire about his health.” Tamil Nadu CM Stalin was hospitalised a few weeks ago and underwent a procedure at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.One unexpected guest among these was Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan. However, the timing of the meeting was crucial, as there is speculation that Radhakrishnan is in the race for Vice President of India, a post that fell vacant after the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.The buzz in the corridors of power is that the BJP high command may elevate Radhakrishnan to the VP post, keeping in mind the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. This is why his meeting with Stalin was important.Having said that, Radhakrishnan’s candidature could face a slight hiccup because of language. The party leadership believes that someone with a command over Hindi can manage the floor better. If CPR is not considered, then the next option would be Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who the BJP high command believes would be a perfect candidate, much like ex-VP Dhankhar.In between, there was speculation that the VP post might be given to the BJP’s trusted ally TDP, but we were told that it may not happen..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Why Modi government wanted a teenage girl born in Andhra to be branded an ‘illegal immigrant’.In July, the Delhi High Court granted citizenship to a girl born in India to foreign parents. This could ‘open the floodgates’, argues Modi government..PowermovesTop 5 political stories.TNM Ground Report: Residents unaware of 80 voters in 10 sq ft Bengaluru roomOpinion: Is fear of Hindutva pushing Left, VCK to compromise progressive values?Bihar’s SIR a lesson to rest of the country: CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya warnsTelangana: Three years after poaching attempt, former MLA from BRS joins BJP Opinion: India’s opaque judge transfers make the promise of justice ring hollow

Cautious enthusiasm within Congress on ‘vote-chori’ | Powertrip #114

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