What happened when Amit Shah’s man met Vijay | Powertrip #143

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers. This week’s edition is by Shabbir Ahmed, Haritha John, and Pooja Prasanna.In our top story, we tell you how Amit Shah sent an emissary – not a politician but someone close to him – to meet Vijay for negotiations. But did it yield results?The biggest reason for Congress’s delay in finalising candidates in Kerala for the Assembly elections was a senior MP’s demand for a MLA seat.As his first election as a politician approaches, we learnt that Vijay might continue with his stance of not giving media interviews.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.What happened when BJP emissary met TVK chief VijayAs reported in Powertrip, the past week saw hectic backchannel negotiations in Tamil Nadu, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making last-minute attempts to reach out to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay.BJP sources told TNM that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has taken up the task of strategising for Tamil Nadu, sent an emissary – not a politician but someone close to Shah – to meet Vijay. Sources said that the meeting between Vijay and the BJP emissary did not go well, as the “tone and tenor” of the meeting was different and had nothing to do with alliance talks.The reason for the BJP making such an attempt is the pressure from the state unit of the party and a section of AIADMK leaders to bring TVK into the NDA’s fold.According to TVK sources, the party stuck to its position and demanded more than 100 seats and the Chief Ministership for Vijay – a demand that cannot be fulfilled by the BJP or the AIADMK.On March 16, Amit Shah told journalists in Delhi on the sidelines of the Parliament session that the BJP had “initiated the talks” and that Vijay is not “budging”.The BJP’s national leadership has come up with its own calculations and believes that TVK is eating into the votes of the DMK-led alliance, and that the TVK will gain 70% of its vote from the DMK. Including those of minorities, Dalits, and women.In contrast, the BJP believes that the TVK will gain only 30% of its votes from AIADMK.The BJP high command has now asked its local unit leaders to focus on campaigning in Tamil Nadu..Congress house not in orderThe delay in the Congress party in Kerala finalising its candidate list for the Assembly elections – while the CPI(M), CPI, and BJP were prompt – points to two factors, according to several leaders TNM spoke to: internal differences and complacency. Sources said the biggest hurdle was Kannur MP K Sudhakaran’s insistence on contesting from the Kannur Assembly constituency.The delay was despite the party having already taken a stand against fielding sitting MPs. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor was the first to seek a ticket but was turned down. Later, both Adoor Prakash and Shafi Parambil reiterated their demands and were denied on the same grounds.However, Sudhakaran remained firm on contesting, putting the leadership in a bind. Sources said Adoor Prakash conveyed that if Sudhakaran was allowed to contest, he too should be given the green light to enter the fray from Konni, further complicating the situation.One leader told TNM that a sense of complacency may have set in among the Kerala unit after its performance in the recent local body elections. “A party that has been in the Opposition for 10 years should ideally have had its candidate list ready,” the leader said, attributing the delay to disagreements among two or three dominant factions..Vijay not to give interviews this election?With speculations about an alliance with the BJP disturbing its cadre, the TVK leadership has decided to announce its first set of candidates for more than 50 constituencies and thereby declare the party will go alone this time.An Iftaar event has been organised by the party on March 18 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mahabalipuram, where Vijay is expected to make this announcement. Meanwhile, a TVK leader said that Vijay is unlikely to give any interviews this election, even though several editors, including from top Delhi news channels, have made a beeline to his residence. They were only allowed off-record conversations. This approach is expected to continue through the election season.TNM spoke to a senior Tamil TV editor and an English newspaper editor, both of whom said their requests for interviews have not been accepted so far. They were informed that Vijay is not planning to engage with the media through formal interviews.However, the Tamil TV editor said there is a possibility that Vijay may choose to speak only to influencers rather than journalists..Trouble brews in Kannur CPI(M)All is not well within the Kannur unit of the CPI(M), with factional tensions surfacing over candidate selection in Taliparamba. District secretariat member TK Govindan has openly opposed the candidature of PK Shyamala and is even planning to contest against her as an independent.The discontent runs deeper. Senior leader EP Jayarajan is learnt to have been eyeing the Taliparamba seat, and choosing Shyamala instead has not gone down well with a section of the leadership. Sources say P Jayarajan and several other leaders in Kannur are backing EP Jayarajan, reflecting a clear divide within the district unit..Zero HourA political story of public importance.The Iran war is starting to hit India’s small manufacturers.Enterprises that make textiles, plastics and automobiles are struggling to operate and pay their workers because of the gas shortage..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesGyanesh Kumar: The making of India’s divisive chief election commissionerTVK chief Vijay writes to CBI, appeals agency to hold future inquiry in Tamil NaduHindu Ekta Sammelanams in Kerala disguise Sangh politics as temple gatheringsSpeaker Khader adjourns Karnataka Assembly over ministers’ failure to answer questionsEach state should implement UCC on their own, says Andhra 20 point program chairman Dinakar

What happened when Amit Shah’s man met Vijay | Powertrip #143

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