Meet Sunil Kanugolu, the poll strategist behind Cong's win

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Congress party's victory in the Karnataka state assembly elections has been credited to the innovative campaign strategies developed by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu. The strategist, who was hired by the Congress party in March of last year, played a key role in selecting the party's candidates for the elections, with most of them being picked based on surveys conducted by his team.

Kanugolu's campaign strategies centered around countering the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) narratives and highlighting corruption as the key poll plank against the ruling party. His efforts paid off as the Congress party emerged victorious, defeating the BJP and securing a clear majority in the state assembly.

Kanugolu's success in Karnataka is not surprising given his previous experience working as a poll strategist for the BJP in 2018 and being an instrumental part of Narendra Modi's election campaign in 2014. He has also worked with other political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK and AIADMK.

Going forward, Kanugolu's assignments include restoring the Congress party's political fortunes in Telangana, retaining Congress governments in upcoming elections in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, leading Congress to a victory in Madhya Pradesh, and most importantly, making the Congress a formidable and winning contender against the PM Modi-led BJP in the 2024 general elections.

In addition to his political work, Kanugolu has been credited with planning the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which helped the party connect with people ahead of the crucial polls. While Kanugolu does not have any online presence, his role in the Karnataka elections and his future assignments are expected to make him a prominent figure in Indian politics.