Sunil Kanugolu, a strategist for the Congress party, played a key role in crafting the party’s successful campaign in the Karnataka assembly polls in May 2023. The Congress won a historic 136 seats in the state assembly, and Kanugolu’s skills in field surveys, analytics, and his understanding of ground realities proved to be essential in the party’s victory.
Kanugolu is a Telugu with roots in Karnataka who grew up in Chennai and now lives in Bengaluru. He has previously worked for the BJP, DMK, and AIADMK, but joined the Congress last year, inspired by its values and wanting to take up a challenge. He is known for his ability to form personal relationships with prominent party leaders and to get the narrative right.
Kanugolu worked hard to build a strong relationship with other prominent leaders running the campaign, such as Randeep Surjewala, Siddaramaiah, and DK Shivakumar. His team relied on extensive field surveys to help decide the candidates, and he is known for his insistence on scientific analysis of polling data.
During the Jallikattu protests of 2017, Kanugolu’s ability to bring together different aspects of a campaign, such as Tamil pride and the Dravidian model, was evident. He played a key role in the success of the campaign and his skills in strategic planning and execution were vital.
Kanugolu’s success in Karnataka is seen as a sign of his growing importance in the Congress party. He is expected to play a more significant role in the party’s campaigns in the future, and his expertise in field surveys, analytics, and his understanding of ground realities will be essential to the party’s success.
Kanugolu’s story also highlights the importance of personal relationships and a deep understanding of the political landscape in Indian politics. With his diverse background and experience, he was able to bring a unique perspective to the Congress party, helping it to win in a historically challenging state.
