Why KK Shailaja may be fielded from a new constituency | Powertrip #141

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers. This week’s edition is by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, Pooja Prasanna, and Haritha John.In our top story, we spoke to CPI(M) insiders on why four-time MLA KK Shailaja might be fielded from Peravoor instead of Mattannur, where she won by a huge margin last time. But Pinarayi Vijayan critics quote a different reason.In Tamil Nadu, the Congress high command sent in veteran leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram to resolve the deadlock over the seat-sharing talks with the DMK. Read on to find out what the latest numbers look like.Rahul Gandhi’s recent visits to Kerala have left sections of the party disappointed. We learnt what their complaints were..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only.Why KK Shailaja may be moved to PeravoorFour-time MLA KK Shailaja, who currently represents Mattannur after winning the last election with a margin of over 60,000 votes, is likely to be fielded from Peravoor for the upcoming election, sources in the CPI(M) told TNM. The move, if finalised, would mark a return to a constituency she won in 2006 but lost narrowly in 2011 by 3,440 votes.Shailaja has been elected to the Assembly four times since 1996, twice from Koothuparamba, once from Peravoor, and once from Mattannur. Party insiders claim the leadership is firm on the principle that no senior leader should be allowed to contest repeatedly from a ‘sure-shot’ seat, particularly those who have already held multiple Assembly terms. According to the party, the thinking is both strategic and symbolic, aimed at preventing stagnation and avoiding the perception of political entrenchment.In Peravoor, the CPI(M) lost in 2021 when KV Sakkeer Hussain was defeated by 3,172 votes. The Kannur district leadership and local committees reportedly believe Shailaja’s personal credibility and organisational strength could help the party reclaim the seat this time.However, this won’t be an easy task. Congress president Sunny Joseph has consistently won from here thrice and maintained around 48% vote share. Pinarayi Vijayan critics say that this is just another excuse to ensure Shailaja has a tough challenge because after all the seat the party has chosen for her is the only one she has ever lost from.CPI(M) sources also say that DYFI leader VK Sanoj will contest from Mattanur instead of Shailaja.P Chidambaram as troubleshooterOn the night of March 2, the seat-sharing negotiations between the DMK and the Congress hit a roadblock, with both sides sticking to their positions. The talks were almost on the verge of collapse due to hard bargaining by both parties. The Congress was in no mood to accept the offer made by the DMK, and the DMK was not ready to part with more seats for the Congress.Adding to this, a public statement made by All India Congress Committee in-charge Girish Chodankar to a news agency – that the Congress was not ready to accept the offer of 25 Assembly seats – did not go down well with the DMK.The DMK had issued a deadline to finalise the deal by March 3. Senior Congress leaders from Tamil Nadu reached out to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and the issue was escalated to Sonia Gandhi. On her instructions, former Union Minister P Chidambaram was deputed to hold talks with the DMK.An appointment was made with Chief Minister MK Stalin’s office, and Chidambaram met him personally to resolve the deadlock.Sources in the DMK told TNM that the party had increased the number of seats offered. “Earlier, we had offered 25 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. Now the offer has been revised to 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat for 2026,” the source added.During the talks, the Congress also climbed down from its earlier demand of 41 Assembly seats to 36 Assembly constituencies and two Rajya Sabha seats. Congress sources told TNM that Chidambaram had requested Stalin to raise the seat count to 35 Assembly seats so that a deal could be finalised.After much deliberation, the DMK’s final offer to the Congress stands at 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat, while the Congress is expecting the number of Assembly seats to cross 30.DMK sources are now awaiting a reply from the Congress high command.Rahul Gandhi’s Kerala connect under strainAhead of the Assembly elections in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi was widely seen as the Congress party’s trump card. Over the past few years, he built considerable goodwill in the state and his campaign appearances were credited with energising cadres and voters alike.But his recent visits have prompted murmurs within sections of the party.At a farmers’ meeting in Wayanad, attendees expected a discussion on crop losses, rising input costs, loan distress, and wildlife attacks. Instead, Rahul reportedly spoke at length about the Epstein files, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged links to them, and their implications for India-US trade relations. Several farmers who had gathered to raise pressing local concerns were left disappointed and later conveyed their frustration to district leaders.In Ernakulam, a similar pattern played out. While interacting with local voters, Rahul focused largely on national issues and did not directly target the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government on governance, welfare delivery or state-level controversies. Some local leaders privately admit that this has created confusion about the campaign’s core message in the state election.There are also complaints about Rahul’s engagement style. A few party workers say that during closed-door meetings, when constituency-level issues are raised, his attention appears to wane. They point to instances where he was frequently on his mobile phone while others were speaking, which they felt sent the wrong signal..Zero HourA political story of public importance.As polls knock, why is Bengal’s SIR in a state of chaos with no end in sight?.With Bengal’s final electoral roll yet to be drawn up, matters have reached such a stage that even the upcoming Assembly elections are now under question..PowermovesTop 5 political storiesWho is converting to which religion in Kerala? The real ‘Kerala Story’ in numbersJustice Dharmadhikari, who cleared The Kerala Story 2, set to head Madras High CourtExplained: Why are Karnataka’s job aspirants protesting?AP: Video of TTD chairman with a woman goes viral, YSRCP demands resignationCM Revanth returns land to Hindu institution, cancels allotment to water board amid row