Why start-ups are cosying up to BJP and what if Prajwal Revanna wins

Welcome to Powertrip, a newsletter exclusively curated for TNM subscribers by Dhanya Rajendran, Shabbir Ahmed, and Pooja Prasanna. In this week’s newsletter, we tell you why start-up and unicorn founders refused to go to a meeting called by Congress, the Siddu government’s plan to deal with Prajwal Revanna if he wins the elections and why local leaders in DMK, AIADMK and BJP in Tamil Nadu are a worried lot..Why start-ups are scared to talk to CongressPraveen Chakravarthy, the Chairman of the Professionals’ Congress, recently posted on X that start-up founders who attended a gathering at IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s residence to subtly endorse Modi 3.0 lacked the courage to attend a meeting called by the Congress. We have additional details on this for you. In March 2024, P Chidambaram convened a meeting to discuss the Congress manifesto, inviting about a dozen start-up and unicorn founders, including representatives from MakeMyTrip, Zomato, and Urban Company. But none of them showed up.The founders expressed concerns that the BJP would not forgive them for attending the Congress manifesto meeting. Despite Congress promising to follow Chatham House Rules, ensuring comments would remain anonymous, the assurance wasn’t enough. Congress even offered to hold one-on-one meetings, ensuring no contemporaries would be informed.The CEOs were particularly worried that Hiren Joshi, Officer on Special Duty at the Prime Minister’s Office, would discover the meeting. They also feared the NITI Aayog would find out, which could have negative repercussions. The end result? No one attended the meeting. What if Prajwal Revanna wins?On May 1, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to PM Modi seeking that rape accused and JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna’s passport be cancelled. Congress leaders we spoke to say that the Union government is showing absolutely no interest in doing anything that would force Prajwal Revanna to come back to India. With all indications that Prajwal will come back to India only after the final phase of voting, the Congress is charting out the next course of action - what happens if Prajwal wins the election? Party leaders believe enough political pressure has to be created to ensure Prajwal resigns as an MP. Since this is an unprecedented situation, Congress leaders in Karnataka also plan to consult legal experts to understand how to take on Prajwal if he secures a victory. The money angleJune 4 is D-day for the NDA and INDIA blocs. And while it’s still a few weeks away, the results of the Lok Sabha elections are already worrying local leaders of the DMK, AIADMK and BJP. MK Stalin has already warned that there will be a review of the DMK’s performance, and district secretaries will face consequences if the alliance underperforms. Sources indicate that local DMK leaders are particularly worried about being held accountable if INDIA alliance candidates receive fewer votes than expected.In the AIADMK, there is apprehension that Edappadi Palaniswami’s review will extend beyond performance to include financial scrutiny. Palaniswami reportedly believes that funds provided by the party were not effectively utilised at the booth level. He has begun review calls with local leaders and intends to investigate whether any funds were misappropriated. Additionally, EPS is concerned about potential defections if the AIADMK performs poorly, and is using the review calls to gauge party sentiment.In the Tamil Nadu BJP, there is already dissatisfaction with organising secretary Kesava Vinayagam’s handling of funds. Various audio clips are circulating, and there is speculation that the party will soon initiate a probe into election expenditures once the results are announced.Zero HourA political story of public importanceFact Checking Modi’s Claim That His Jobs ‘Track Record Compared to Previous Governments is the Best’.It is unclear what data Modi has deployed. He had once suggested youngsters prepare pakodas and stay engaged. Look at how facts and data shows up Modi’s latest claims.PowermovesTop 5 political stories1. When violence is consumed as porn: How Prajwal Revanna videos are affecting the social fabric of Hassan2. Doordarshan, AIR censor Yechury’s critique of laws, air Modi’s anti-Muslim speeches3. Power and fear: The turbulent story of Prajwal Revanna4. Puzhu row and the absurd rightwing effort to focus on Mammootty's Muslim identity5. ‘Violence follows women everywhere’: Editors of book on women prisoners speak

Why start-ups are cosying up to BJP and what if Prajwal Revanna wins

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