Why are Karnataka ministers suddenly visible everywhere? | Powertrip #160

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 Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna and Shabbir Ahmed.In this week’s edition, we uncover why ministers and officials in Karnataka suddenly seem to be visible everywhere, especially on social media. It stems from a directive from CM Shivakumar himself.The Delimitation Bill is back in the news, but will the Union government risk tabling it in the ongoing Monsoon Session?A couple of high-profile meetings featuring Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty have put the TVK government on the back foot.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. .No room for complacency: CM DKS puts ministers on the groundEver since the change of regime in Karnataka, ministers seem to be everywhere. On the ground, in government offices, and increasingly on social media, they are making their presence felt through surprise raids, unannounced inspections, bus rides, and even videos of meetings with officials.So, what has triggered this sudden increase in visibility?Those familiar with the administration say Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has made it clear to ministers that the sense of “complacency” that had crept into the previous administration under Siddaramaiah must not be allowed to set in again. There is also a conscious effort to give people the confidence that the government is moving quickly and responding to their concerns.“It is not enough to do the work. People should also be aware that work is being done at a rapid pace by this government. That is the larger message from the CMO,” said a person close to the administration.The change has been particularly noticeable among ministers. Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda was among the first to attract attention, with videos of him pulling up officials and inspecting development works going viral.Not to be left behind, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh took an incognito ride on a BMTC bus to assess first-hand how the service was functioning. More recently, Health Minister UT Khader has been accompanying officials on raids at high-profile hotels as part of food safety inspections.The Chief Minister himself has also been driving the push. On Tuesday, Shivakumar held a virtual meeting with 750 government centres across the state, with around one lakh officials participating. The discussion covered everything from drought relief and road development to the functioning of grievance cells.The message was clear. There is little room for complacency, and ministers and officials need to be more visible and more engaged with the public. The government wants them to go beyond simply doing the work and make sure people can see that their problems are being addressed.In effect, the administration appears to be trying to change not just how the government works, but how that work is communicated to the public. Visibility itself has become part of governance.The question of the Delimitation BillOver the past week, there has been a lot of talk about the Delimitation Bill. But the fact remains that after the women’s reservation bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha in April and the Union government withdrew the delimitation bill from the house, they have not yet tabled the latter in the ongoing Monsoon Session.In fact, we have learnt that it is likely that they will not bring in the delimitation bill this session, as Modi-Shah would seek to prevent another defeat in the Lok Sabha.The primary deterrent is the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance does not have the numbers in the Lok Sabha. The passing of a Constitutional Amendment requires a two-thirds majority among those present and voting, that is, 362 votes in a 543-member House.The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam may support the bill, on the condition that a 50% increase in the number of seats of all states be written into the law. Before the women’s reservation bill was defeated in April, Amit Shah had verbally assured on the floor of the House to incorporate the 50% clause.But even if the NDA gets the DMK’s 22 votes, it may find it difficult to touch the magic number, as the Samajwadi Party has not given them any assurance of support.The Congress, meanwhile, remains staunchly opposed to the bill and has said that it will not budge even if the 50% clause is added. The status quo should be maintained, it insists.Praveen Chakravarty’s meetings raise eyebrows In July, the Tamil Nadu government appointed former Planning Commission chief Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia to lead the Revenue Augmentation Committee, which will advise the government on increasing its revenue.According to government sources, Rajya Sabha MP and All India Professionals Congress chairman Praveen Chakravarty played a crucial role in roping in Dr Ahluwalia. A few days later, Praveen posted a picture of himself having breakfast with Dr Ahluwalia and discussing Tamil Nadu’s financial position.Another few days and he posted a picture of his meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and claimed to have discussed the state’s financial situation. This has put the ruling TVK government on the mat, and the Opposition has raised questions about under whose instructions Praveen has been allowed to discuss Tamil Nadu’s finances with the Union government.Sources told TNM that state Finance Department officials are unhappy with Praveen Chakravarty’s intervention and have also raised the issue with state Finance Minister Maria Wilson.The issue has also been brought to the notice of the state Congress party leadership.Zero HourA political story of public importance.PowermovesTop 5 political storiesAnti-reservation rhetoric is rising, management quota stays invisibleTNM investigation on ONGC funds to Sangh-linked orgs mentioned in JPC on Corporate Laws BillThe Muthanga verdict: Justice for whom and at what historical cost? TN Speaker’s anti-abortion rhetoric is more than a personal opinion The enigma of BlueKraft: Inside the narrative factory powering Brand Modi Newsletter management: Vidya Sigamany