CEC selection controversy & Tharoor’s silence on article lauding Kerala | Powertrip #90

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 edition, we found out what happened in the high-powered committee meeting to select the new Chief Election Commissioner, in which LOP Rahul Gandhi expressed dissent. Why has MP Shashi Tharoor remained silent about the data behind his article praising Kerala’s industrial progress? We talked to Congress sources. In Karnataka, an astute work-around is enabling DK Shivakumar to push ahead with mega infra projects in Bengaluru. Analysing its recent election losses, the Congress has come to believe that the real issue is not EVM hacking. What is it doing to counter this?.Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.How CEC was appointed despite dissent note from Rahul GandhiA new Chief Election Commissioner has been appointed, but not without controversy. The selection process moved forward despite strong objection from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who submitted a dissent note. Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, took charge as the new CEC on February 18.The high-powered committee—comprising PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Rahul Gandhi—met to finalise the appointment. But sources say Rahul was clear on his objections from the start. He reportedly urged the panel to delay the meeting, citing the ongoing Supreme Court case challenging the government’s changes to the selection process. But the Prime Minister declined, telling him he could formally record his objections in a dissent note.When asked if he wanted to weigh in on the candidates being considered, Rahul refused, saying that since he opposed the entire process, discussing individual names was pointless. He then submitted his dissent note and left the meeting..Tharoor yet to respond to Congress leadershipEven as senior Congress leaders in Kerala continue to criticise Shashi Tharoor over his article lauding the state’s industrial progress, sources within the party told TNM that the Thiruvananthapuram MP has not yet responded to the leadership’s queries on the data he cited.According to sources, the Congress leadership had asked Tharoor for a clarification on where he obtained the figures he mentioned in his article, which talked about Kerala’s advancements in the industrial and startup sectors. However, despite the party’s demand for a reply, Tharoor has remained silent on the matter so far. Party leaders we spoke to say that they believe the data was cherry-picked by someone in the CPI(M) government and provided to Tharoor.TNM has also learned that Tharoor has been increasingly discontent with the Congress leadership and his latest remarks have not come as a surprise to party insiders. “It is not unexpected,” a senior Congress leader told TNM. Tharoor has been unhappy with the way things have been going within the party and since he will not be contesting the next Lok Sabha elections as a Congress candidate, his recent statement fits the larger picture.The controversy erupted after Tharoor’s article in The New Indian Express on Kerala’s industrial progress drew sharp criticism from Congress and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leaders, who accused him of downplaying the contributions of past United Democratic Front (UDF) governments. However, Tharoor has stood by his statements, arguing that political differences should not come in the way of acknowledging progress..The clever work-around to fund DKS’s mega infra projects in BengaluruFor months now, DK Shivakumar has been rolling out massive infrastructure plans for Bengaluru—from a Rs 42,500 crore twin-tunnel road project and a Rs 27,000 crore business corridor. But not everyone’s convinced. Many are questioning the feasibility of these grand projects, while others are wondering where the state government will find the money for them.Initially, even DKS’s cabinet colleagues weren’t on board, raising the same concerns. After all, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made it clear that the government’s top priority is funding welfare schemes under the guarantees. But a clever work-around seems to have put everyone at ease.The deal? The state coffers won’t be footing the bill. Siddaramaiah and senior ministers have told DKS that if he can tap into his business network and bring in private investments—since these projects are structured as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)—he’s free to push ahead. With that green light, DKS is charging forward, determined to make these mega projects his legacy..Beyond EVMs: What Congress thinks is behind BJP’s consecutive poll victoriesAfter setbacks in Haryana and Maharashtra, the Delhi elections have further weakened the opposition, with the BJP gaining ground and defying all predictions. The Congress, instead of making loud accusations, is quietly analysing what’s going wrong.In the past, whenever they raised concerns about EVM hacking, it backfired, with critics mocking their claims. This time, however, Congress believes that the real issue lies elsewhere—within the voters’ list. They suspect that the BJP, with help from the Election Commission machinery, strategically “cleans” electoral rolls in key constituencies. The idea is to remove just enough voters to tilt the results, but not so many that it raises red flags.With fewer Congress foot soldiers on the ground to monitor the process, they fear this alleged manipulation is going unchecked. Now, the party is slowly working to gather evidence—fully aware that it’s an uphill battle..Zero HourA political story of public importance.In unusual move, Railways gives Rs 1.99 crore total in cash to victims of Delhi stampede.Given to families of those killed and the injured, does it violate guidelines from 2023?.PowermovesTop 5 political storiesIs cow smuggling rampant in Uttara Kannada as Hindutva activists claim?How a con artist, a biz man and a ‘half-price’ scheme swindled thousands in KeralaTN: CB-CID seeks action-taken reports on murdered activist Jagaber Ali’s complaints‘Rama Rajyam’: The group behind mob attack on Chilkur Balaji priestTelangana caste census raises serious questions: Is BC population being undercounted?Watch: ‘A teen told me women belong in the kitchen’: Students talk to TNM about manosphere

CEC selection controversy & Tharoor’s silence on article lauding Kerala | Powertrip #90

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