Karnataka election results: Congress leaders are giving credit to top central leadership- Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge and state leaders who powered the grand old party to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party. It is right that everyone recognizes the effort of onscreen heroes. But, in modern elections, the poll-strategists play a key role devise electoral success. If today the Congress party swept Karnataka with a huge margin, defeating its arch-rival BJP, the credit will also go to a person who made unbeatable strategies for the party behind the curtain.
From 'Rahul Gandhi's simplicity and his public events with commoners', to '40 percent commission charge', to 'PayCM campaign' and separate yatras by Siddaramaiah and DK Shiva Kumar- all these strategies were part of a well thought plan.
Who is Sunil Kanugolu?
The Congress had roped in poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu for Karnataka a couple of months ago. He spearheaded the Congress' campaign in Karnataka, where his strategies stunned the mighty BJP. 39-year-old Kanugolu is the latest sensation in the field of poll strategy. He was a team Modi member in Lok Sabha 2014. In 2018, he worked with Amit Shah. In 2016 worked with DMK . He is also in charge of Lok Sabha 2024 for Congress. Kanugolu even contributed to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, he added.
"A professional strategist's help comes handy in preparing for Assembly polls. Madhya Pradesh's intrinsic political situation, including caste equations, make the task more complicated. Perhaps the Congress should build its own election management mechanism," senior journalist and a visiting fellow with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Rasheed Kidwai, told PTI.
Kanugolu took charge of MP election and LS polls
A Congress leader said Kanugolu will play a key role in shaping the party's campaign for Lok Sabha election and Madhya Pradesh Assemlby election. He had earlier worked for the BJP in UP and is said to have played a key role in the resounding victory of Yogi Adityanath in 2017, party leaders said.
In the 2018 MP Assembly elections, the Congress had emerged as the largest party by winning 114 seats in the 230-member House, while the BJP won 109 seats.
(With PTI input)
Also read- Karnataka results & Lok Sabha election 2024: Decoding implications
