Who is Sunil Kanugolu, Congress party’s poll strategist who is responsible for its thumping vitory in Telangana?
Hyderabad: With a thumping lead of over 63 seats, the Congress party is on its way to a historic victory in the Telangana Assembly elections 2023, cornering the current BRS government led by Chandrashekar Rao. Notably, this is the first time that the BRS is on track to lose the newest state since its inception in 2014. If the trend continues, KCR will step down from the Chief Minister post for the first time since 2014, with Congress leader Revanth Reddy expected to take the position.
Nonetheless, the credit for Congress’ success in Telangana is significantly attributed to poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, echoing the resounding majority achieved by the party in the Karnataka elections earlier this year.
According to sources cited by the Indian Express, Kanugolu was granted autonomy in Telangana to execute his strategies and manage internal services. This level of freedom was reportedly not extended to the poll strategist in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where leaders like Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath were purportedly not aligned with his methods.
Who is Sunil Kanugolu?, Poll Strategist
Sunil Kanugolu, hailing from Karnataka, stands out as one of India’s most renowned election strategists, earning acclaim for the Congress party’s triumph in Karnataka in May 2023. Kanugolu played a pivotal role in orchestrating the INC’s election campaign in Telangana, steering the party to a commanding majority in the state.
Two years ago, KCR extended an invitation to Kanugolu to his farmhouse in Hyderabad for a meeting. Although the Telangana CM proposed that Kanugolu join the election strategy team for the polls, he ultimately turned down the offer, opting to align with the Congress instead.
Recognized as a direct advisor to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Kanugolu was also entrusted with planning a significant portion of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Prior to joining Congress, the seasoned poll strategist had worked with AIADMK, BJP, and DMK.
The prominent strategist was hired by the grand old party after Prashant Kishor rejected the party’s offer. The party hired him and appointed him as a member of the Task Force 2024. Notably, this team was created by the Congress to execute the Nav Sankalp (New Resolution) declaration adopted in Udaipur.
Earlier, Sunil Kanugolu was a part of Kishor’s team to plan the poll strategy for BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. This was the time when Narendra Modi became the prime minister of India for the first time. Kanugolu was appointed the chairman of election strategy committee of the AICC, starting out with the Karnataka elections.