Why Rahul Gandhi is going to be protesting in Bengaluru | Powertrip #113

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter exclusively curated for TNM and NL subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Pooja Prasanna and Shabbir Ahmed. Rahul Gandhi will hit the streets and lead a protest at the Election Commission office in Bengaluru on August 8. The reason? Electoral roll manipulation. We bring you the inside story. In Kerala, the Congress sees a chance in the next elections if the CPI(M) insists on going with Pinarayi Vijayan. In the tug-of-war between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar over the Chief Minister’s chair, there could be a wildcard entrant — someone from the very top. .Why Rahul Gandhi is going to be protesting in BengaluruRahul Gandhi is scheduled to lead a protest outside the Election Commission office in Bengaluru on August 8. While it is known that the protest is against electoral roll manipulation in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, Powertrip has learned more specific details.The focus of the protest is the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, which falls under the Bangalore Central parliamentary seat. Mansoor Ali Khan, who contested for the Congress and lost to the BJP's PC Mohan, has reportedly gathered data on votes that were allegedly deleted, added, and duplicated.Rahul Gandhi is expected to raise a range of issues, including voters with house numbers marked as ‘zero’ or ‘hyphen’, approximately 20,000 duplicate entries, numerous fake voters listed under single addresses, and a failure to follow proper procedures for new voter registrations. Mansoor Ali Khan believes the manipulation involves thousands of voters.This situation presents a tricky issue for the Congress. If the party alleges duplication in the electoral rolls, the Election Commission could respond by stating that a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is underway for this very reason.In 2023, TNM had done an investigation that showed that a private agency named Chilume, which had links with the BJP, had collected voter data. We had deduced that this was part of an exercise to weed out voters in the Shivaji Nagar constituency and others in Bengaluru. Due to our investigation, the Election Commission of India had asked for revision of rolls in three Assembly seats in Bengaluru. Shivaji Nagar also falls within the Bangalore Central seat..Congress sees a chance, if CPI(M) sticks with PinarayiWith the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for next year, both the CPI(M) and the Congress are convinced of their chances. The Congress’s internal assessment suggests that if Pinarayi Vijayan is projected as the Chief Minister again, anti-incumbency sentiment would work against the Left. However, the party believes that if the CPI(M) were to project someone like KK Shailaja, the political dynamic would shift dramatically.So, will the CPI(M) opt for KK Shailaja?Sources indicate that while some leaders within the CPI(M) believe Pinarayi Vijayan should step aside, they are unwilling to openly confront him. They are reportedly waiting for him to voluntarily name a successor, with the Politburo’s consultation. However, many believe that even if Pinarayi Vijayan does so, he is highly unlikely to suggest Shailaja’s name..Kharge re-enters the CM race spotlightFor months, the spotlight has been on the tug-of-war between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar over the Chief Minister’s chair. But what if the real wildcard is someone entirely different, someone from the very top? There’s growing buzz that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge could emerge as a surprise contender for the CM post.Kharge has long been dubbed the “Chief Minister who never was,” having been edged out in 1999 by SM Krishna, in 2004 by Dharam Singh, and again in both 2013 and 2023 by Siddaramaiah. Despite his current role as AICC president and his advancing age, Kharge’s name is back in the mix, and with good reason.Party insiders suggest that floating Kharge as a compromise candidate could solve a key dilemma for the Congress: placating factions opposed to DK Shivakumar without reigniting the Siddaramaiah vs. DKS feud. Few in the Karnataka Congress would argue against Kharge’s credentials– a grassroots leader, a seasoned administrator, and a proud Dalit face. His elevation could also boost the party’s social messaging.But the catch remains the same: like Siddaramaiah, Kharge can’t be projected as a long-term or future-ready face. 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Why Rahul Gandhi is going to be protesting in Bengaluru | Powertrip #113

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