DKS’s Soft-Hindutva bet and Vijay-Ajith meet soon? | Powertrip #164

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 Pooja Prasanna, and Shabbir Ahmed.In this week’s edition, we tell you why the Congress high command has no intention of intervening in the Tamil Nadu face off between DMK and TVK. From Karnataka, it’s on a vow that DKS is set to take soon on his 100th day of power and it has a soft Hindutva angle to it. Tamil Nadu meanwhile may witness an Ajith-Vijay meeting in London soon. Powertrip is a newsletter that senior political reporters of TNM put together every week. For those who can’t access the full newsletter, get a subscription and read every Tuesday..DKS bets on a sacred 500-day vow to counter the BJPSince taking office as Karnataka Chief Minister on June 3, 2026, DK Shivakumar has maintained a high-tempo political strategy leading up to a key milestone: his 100th day in power on September 10. To mark the occasion, DKS is planning to take a Sankalpa, a solemn public vow deeply embedded in Vedic tradition.The oath will unveil a 500-day governance roadmap, detailing concrete infrastructure targets and developmental benchmarks. Once made public, the pledge doubles as an accountable progress report and the foundational blueprint for the Congress party’s 2028 assembly election campaign.The spiritual framing is a cold, calculated move. DKS and his inner circle believe that the BJP holds two formidable advantages in the state: ideological Hindutva momentum and deep-seated urban voter loyalty. The Sankalpa strategy is designed to flank both defenses at once.By cloaking major public commitments in sacred terminology, DKS executes a tactical soft-Hindutva play to neutralize the opposition's cultural monopoly and engage traditional voters. Concurrently, by tying that oath to rapid, visible civic repairs across Karnataka’s cities, he is mounting a direct bid for the urban middle class that has traditionally leaned toward the opposition.Congress chooses a side as TVK and DMK clashAs Chief Minister Vijay launches repeated salvos against the DMK on the Assembly floor, the public reaction remains deeply divided. Yet amid the political crossfire, one party’s silence is deafening: the Indian National Congress.Once a steadfast ally of the DMK, Congress has maintained a resolute, strategic distance as its current coalition partner, Vijay’s TVK, tears into its former partner.Despite earlier assurances from Rahul Gandhi aimed at mending fences, leadership in both New Delhi and Chennai now views the DMK chapter as closed. Rather than attempting to ride two horses at once, Congress has quietly committed its weight to Vijay’s administration.While the national leadership maintains a calculated detachment from daily Assembly spats, key state leaders are actively burning bridges with the DMK. By making public statements that solidify the rift, Congress is ensuring there is no path back to its old alliance, fully locking in its political future alongside TVK.Vijay and Ajith to meet in the UK?This weekend, the Silverstone Circuit in the UK is likely to witness a rare coming together of two Tamil cinema superstars, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and actor Ajith Kumar.According to sources, Chief Minister Vijay will likely watch Ajith Kumar’s racing performance in the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup at Silverstone, scheduled for September 11 and 12. Ajith’s participation in international racing events and continued involvement in the sport have helped bring motorsport into the mainstream conversation among his vast fan base.According to sources, the idea of Chief Minister Vijay attending the international racing event was first mooted by Ajith’s team. The Chief Minister immediately agreed to the proposal, but it was decided to keep it under wraps, sources said.This was also apparently the backdrop against which Vijay announced during the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly session that a world-class motorsport city would be established in the state. The announcement was welcomed by Ajith Kumar.The proposed motorsport city is expected to further strengthen Tamil Nadu’s already robust motorsport ecosystem, which includes racing circuits, teams, drivers and a large base of motorsport enthusiasts. Zero HourRSS chief's North America visit did not go well. Its problems run deep | The Morning Context.PowermovesTop 5 political storiesThe Assembly goes live, and Vijay’s TVK gets a powerful new media platformPourakarmika union hits back at Krishna Byre Gowda, says remarks expose govt's failures At Vizag people’s convention on AI data centres, experts and citizens raise alarmWhat are the Sarkaria report and ED document Vijay cited to accuse the DMK of corruption?‘Who gave the orders?’ BRS women MLAs allege police assault outside Telangana Assembly