Why Congress top brass in Karnataka took on Kiran Majumdar Shaw | Powertrip #124

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, Anisha Sheth, and Maria Teresa RajuIn this edition, we look at BJP’s growing impatience with EPS and AIADMK’s quiet courtship of Vijay’s TVK; Karnataka ministers’ unusually sharp rebuke of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and the Congress’s united front against the RSS; and Kerala’s reluctant acceptance of the Union government’s PM Shri scheme. Read the full newsletter for all the details. Two weeks ago, we told you the AIADMK’s plan for TVK and how they are looking at a Chandrababu Naidu-Pawan Kalyan type of equation. Things have become clearer now.For those who can’t access the full newsletter, take a subscription and read every Tuesday. Avail the discount option NOW..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.BJP’s impatience grows as AIADMK woos TVKThe absence of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palanisamy at Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran’s statewide yatra has not been taken lightly by the BJP high command. The yatra, which began from Madurai on October 12, was supposed to be flagged off by BJP national president JP Nadda. However, since he was busy with the Bihar elections, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman or Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were touted as options but that too did not happen.Though EPS was invited for the event, he decided not to attend because none of the BJP’s national leaders were present. This decision did not go down well with the BJP high command.This comes at a time when EPS has been desperately trying to woo actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK and has sent strong feelers to the party to join their alliance. The BJP wants to conclude seat-sharing talks with the AIADMK at the earliest, but the AIADMK does not want to rush into it.As we have told you in previous editions of Powertrip, the AIADMK is keen on an alliance with Vijay’s TVK. AIADMK leader and deputy leader of the opposition, RB Udhayakumar, has made this clear publicly.What was interesting was the choice of words used by RB Udhayakumar while referring to TVK during his media interaction. He said that an alliance would be the “wish of the people and the party cadres.” He also cited the example of Pawan Kalyan in Andhra for taking the right decision. Remember, we told you the exact same reference in a previous Powertrip?.Why Karnataka ministers took on Kiran Mazumdar-ShawOver the past few days, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has found herself at the receiving end of unusually sharp criticism from Karnataka’s top leadership – from the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to several Cabinet ministers. Her repeated remarks about the poor state of Bengaluru’s roads triggered a rare public confrontation.For those familiar with the city’s political culture, this comes as a surprise. Regardless of who is in power, Bengaluru’s elite – people like Shaw, Narayana Murthy, and Mohandas Pai – have always had access to and influence over those in government, often shaping key decisions on the city’s infrastructure.But Congress insiders tell us that this time, the irritation runs deep. Ministers say they value Shaw’s inputs and have acted on many of her suggestions, yet her social media posts projecting Bengaluru in a bad light crossed a line. According to two senior ministers we spoke to, the public pushback had everyone’s approval..Congress unites to curb RSS activitiesThe Congress party in Karnataka has closed ranks and rallied around IT Minister and Chittapur MLA Priyank Kharge over his letter urging Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ban the RSS from using government-owned or aided premises for its activities.Congress sources say both Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah are determined to hold their position and politically challenge the RSS. According to a senior Congress leader, there is broad agreement within the party on Kharge’s stand, though there were discussions on how best to restrict the RSS from using government spaces to spread its ideology. While Kharge was keen to confront the organisation directly, others felt it was more strategic to rely on existing legal provisions, including those framed when the BJP was in power.Initially, Siddaramaiah indicated that the government would study how Tamil Nadu had handled similar issues, as that state had refused permission for RSS route marches. However, since courts – including the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court – allowed the marches, Karnataka decided to instead invoke prohibitory orders issued in 2013 by the then BJP government.Another Congress leader said the party is ready for the pushback that will follow.The RSS’s decision to challenge Kharge in his own constituency of Chittapur, where the organisation has now approached the court seeking approval for its route marches, demonstrates how serious they are about countering the Congress.In the past, Congress leaders have shied away from direct confrontation with the Sangh. But the united front this time shows there is no longer a right-of-centre faction, according to a Congress leader..CPI(M)’s quiet U-turnAfter years of resistance, Kerala’s Education Department has finally agreed to the terms of the Union government’s PM Shri scheme. The scheme funds several centrally-financed education projects in the state under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala programme. The Left front in Kerala has always opposed the scheme as the Union government disperses funds under the scheme on the condition that states implement the National Education Policy (NEP). Moreover, receiving PM Shri funds also requires states to brand schools as ‘PM Shri School’ and display photographs of PM Narendra Modi. The sudden u-turn in the state government’s policy is said to be Education Minister V Sivankutty’s unilateral decision. And why? We have been told that it was the result of an acute financial crunch. A top government source said that across departments, there are several Union government funds similarly stuck due to technicalities. The choice to accept funds has been left to individual departments, the source said.But the decision to not discuss this in the cabinet has not gone down well with the Communist Party of India (CPI). A Minister told us that if the opposition increases, the government will relook at the decision..Zero HourA political story of public importance.Justice Sreedharan transfer: Is Modi government punishing a pro-liberty judge?.From Kashmir to Madhya Pradesh, Justice Sreedharan had rubbed the government the wrong way with his pro-civil rights approach..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesIn water-stressed Palakkad, why is Kerala govt pushing for an alcohol plant?Inside the subsidies for Google’s Vizag data centre amid Andhra-Karnataka spar Why a small Karnataka city became ground zero for a ‘heart attack’ panic KTR alleges ‘vote chori’ by Congress in Jubilee Hills, says no faith in ECIBogus law firm and fake Google notices: The murky online campaign to suppress stories on Vantara zoo

Why Congress top brass in Karnataka took on Kiran Majumdar Shaw | Powertrip #124

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