IT hovering over DMK moneybags & Congress’ Pinarayi dilemma

Welcome to Powertrip, a newsletter exclusively curated for TNM subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. In this issue, we look at IT action on DMK funders, Congress' dilemma with Pinarayi, more on the Sharmila-Jagan saga, BJP's Telangana hopefuls and BRS using the drought against the Congress..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.IT dept hovering over AIADMK & DMK’s money bagsIncome Tax officers are working overtime ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and in Tamil Nadu, their specific targets have been sectors that fund the two Dravidian parties – DMK and AIADMK. Businessmen in real estate as well as government contractors who are known to fund the DMK’s campaign, particularly in districts like Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Trichy and Tirunelveli, are being raided by the IT Department.In places where the BJP fancies its chances, supporters of DMK and AIADMK have faced IT heat the most. Sources in the two Dravidian parties say they are worried if the pattern continues as the BJP on the other hand has no such hurdles. Congress’ Pinarayi Vijayan dilemmaThe alliance between the Congress and CPI(M) is not applicable to Kerala, where the two parties are the key contenders, though they are part of a national alliance. And the state CM has been ruthlessly attacking Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting from Wayanad. Recently, Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress of deliberately disallowing the green flags of their ally IUML so that the party doesn’t get dragged into a communal controversy.Now the Congress is in a fix. Pinarayi’s statement, the Congress believes, could cost Rahul Gandhi crucial votes that IUML supporters bring in. While Gandhi is still poised to win, according to Congress surveys, Pinarayi is causing him embarrassment on the national level. But local leaders have been asked to not escalate matters as any conversation on Kerala is off the table between the INDIA bloc partners. Sharmila’s weapon against brother JaganA battle is brewing in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. The district is a stronghold of the YSR family and now Sharmila is challenging her brother Jagan by contesting the Lok Sabha polls from here. She’s up against the massive YSRCP machinery, but she has an ace up her sleeve – the murder case of their uncle YS Vivekanada Reddy.Sharmila plans to focus her campaign on the suspicious circumstances of their uncle’s death and the alleged role of YSRCP leaders close to Jagan, including their cousin Avinash Reddy. And in her corner, Sharmila has the daughter of Vivekananda Reddy, Sunitha. BJP’s Telangana hopefulsIn Telangana, the BJP has been focussing on five key seats where they think they stand a serious chance of winning. According to an internal survey, these are the constituencies where support for the party has been surging and can be converted into wins.Malkajgiri, the former seat of CM Revanth Reddy, is in the outskirts of Hyderabad and BJP hopes that the urban appeal of Modi will work here. Similar is the case with Secunderabad, BJP chief Kishen Reddy’s seat. Former state chief Bandi Sanjay too is getting good reviews in Karim Nagar, according to the survey. Dharmapuri Aravind’s constituency of Nizamabad, where he defeated K Kavitha in 2019, and Chevella, where ex-MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has been fielded, are the other seats that the BJP is pinning its hopes on. Drought and Kaleshwaram become focusThe BRS has found a political opportunity in the drought situation in Telangana. The party has been attacking the Congress for raising questions on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project and using it for their election propaganda. The plan is to spread a narrative that if the Congress had not stopped work on Kaleshwaram, the drought would not be this bad. Of course, the work has been halted only in a few places due to an investigation.The Congress is planning to counter this by asking Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao to tour the drought impacted districts and spread the government’s word..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Centre hands over 62% of new Sainik Schools to Sangh Parivar, BJP politicians and allies.Sainik Schools, run under the Defence Ministry’s guidance, send cadets to India’s armed forces. The new initiative however relies on ideologically slanted organisations to train future cadets.PowermovesTop 5 political storiesAP polls: Dissidence in TDP, JSP as alliance with BJP upsets balance BJP faces rebellion from traditional supporters in north and coastal KarnatakaExplained: Why Katchatheevu finds itself at the centre of a political storm againBJP's hope in Kerala: Suresh Gopi, the Superstar who fell shortRaja Singh’s hate speech on Mira Road: PUCL questions Maharashtra cops’ delayed action