Tit for tat: Will DMK spokespersons speak Tamil on national TV? | Powertrip #137

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers. This week’s edition is by Shabbir Ahmed, Pooja Prasanna, and Nidheesh MK.In our first story, we tell you how a DMK spokesperson’s spat with a TV channel’s anchor has turned into a broader issue, one that could reshape how regional parties engage with national television platforms.While KC Venugopal denies that he is a chief ministerial candidate in Kerala, why is he working so hard to be seen and heard across the state?In our last story, we bring you the details of Annamalai’s exit as election in-charge just ahead of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.Read the full newsletter for all the details. For those who can’t access the full newsletter, get a subscription and read every Tuesday..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.DMK spokespersons want to switch to Tamil on national TVA fiery moment from a recent Times Now debate on the Union Budget has snowballed into a larger political flashpoint. The show’s anchor, Pranesh Roy, clashed with DMK spokesperson Saravanan after the latter objected to the discussion repeatedly slipping into Hindi, a language he said he does not understand.What began as a language complaint quickly turned ideological. The anchor pushed back, telling Saravanan that his “Dravidian vs Aryan” framing would not work on a “national” channel. The exchange escalated, with other panelists, including BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla and political commentator Anand Ranganathan, joining in, turning the debate into a multi-front confrontation against the DMK representative.Party insiders say this is not an isolated episode. Just days earlier, a similar scene played out on News18, where Tamil Nadu-based political analyst Hareesh Ibrahim was reportedly taken to task by anchor Shreya Upadhyay over his inability to speak Hindi.Now, the issue appears to be snowballing into a strategic rethink within the DMK. Sources say several party spokespersons have sought approval from the leadership to adopt a new approach on so-called “national” English news channels that frequently switch to Hindi mid-debate. The proposed form of protest: respond only in Tamil.And if that fails? A complete boycott is on the table.“Even with elections approaching in Tamil Nadu, staying away from these channels won’t hurt us,” a DMK source said. “Our communication with voters and our narrative will not suffer.”What started as a debate-room spat is fast turning into a broader language and federal politics issue, one that could reshape how regional parties engage with national television platforms.And as far as Saravanan is concerned, we are told that Times Now’s senior anchors assured him that they will give him ample space and time to make his points..What is KC Venugopal really up to?Over the past six months, KC Venugopal’s Kerala visits have followed a strikingly deliberate pattern. He, or his team, call journalists. They offer interviews. He nudges literary festivals to feature him and even gets involved in choosing co-panelists. The visibility is unmistakable. So is the question that inevitably follows him everywhere: is he contesting from Kerala? Is he positioning himself as a chief ministerial candidate?Each time, the answer is an emphatic no.That contradiction is the point. Why work so hard to be seen and heard across Kerala, only to publicly insist that he has no plans there? The behaviour has spawned multiple theories within Congress circles, some of which Venugopal has privately acknowledged to supporters.One theory is long-game positioning. Venugopal wants to remain on the treadmill of CM contenders, if not for today then for tomorrow. He wants the question to come up again and again so that the speculation is alive. With Congress factionalism intensifying and rival aspirants like VD Satheeshan and Ramesh Chennithala jostling for space, Venugopal may be keeping himself visible as the high command’s enforcer of last resort, ready to land in Thiruvananthapuram to steady the party if infighting spins out of control.One Congress leader told us that KC has ambitions to be CM but is pragmatic enough not to voice it as that would send a confusing signal to the electorate. Also an opportunity for the Left to attack the Congress as a ship with too many captains.Some insist that KC’s preferred outcome is Delhi. If Congress wins nationally in 2029, he sees himself as a potential minister. If that does not happen and the party loses, he wants a credible path back to Kerala. That scenario would require a chief minister who is essentially a caretaker – trusted, loyal, and willing to step aside when called upon. By then, Venugopal would be around 65.They say never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied. In KC Venugopal’s case, that has become the clearest signal of ambition..Why Annamalai stepped down as constituency in-chargeFormer BJP Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai’s sudden announcement that he is stepping down as the in-charge of an election tour in six constituencies, including Singanallur in Coimbatore district, has come as a shock to the state BJP leadership.According to sources, there was a strong expectation within the party that Annamalai would contest from Coimbatore in the upcoming Assembly elections. However, a recent announcement by state BJP president Nainar Nagendran, appointing senior party leaders as in-charge for 41 constituencies, appears to have triggered unease within the state unit.Party insiders say the list was released without wider consultation. Annamalai was named in charge for Singanallur, Madurai South, Virugambakkam, Karaikudi, Srivaikundam, and Padmanabhapuram constituencies.“Annamalai was hoping to play a larger role in the upcoming Assembly elections. When he saw his name included as in-charge for only six constituencies, he was disappointed,” a source close to him told TNM.On February 2, Annamalai submitted a letter to Nainar Nagendran seeking to be relieved of the responsibility, citing personal reasons that would prevent him from performing the role. With no response from the state leadership, Annamalai called for a press conference and made his decision public.Caught off guard by the move, Nainar Nagendran has now withdrawn the earlier announcement appointing election tour in-charges for the 41 constituencies the BJP is keen to focus on in the upcoming polls.Annamalai, who is widely expected to contest from Singanallur, also said he was compelled to take this decision keeping in mind his father’s ill health..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Why India’s cities must receive a share of GST funds.If cities are expected to drive growth, innovation, and climate resilience, their governments must be financially empowered..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesA cash-rich newcomer is shaking up Malayalam television news: Does the math add up? ‘Making reels while out on bail’: SC refuses to relax curbs on Savukku ShankarSIR notices force thousands of Bengali migrants in Bengaluru to return homeJust palm oil, no animal fat: What lab reports in the Tirumala laddu row meanDo students in Telangana’s govt residential schools get enough nutrition? 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Tit for tat: Will DMK spokespersons speak Tamil on national TV? | Powertrip #137

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