THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sunil Kanugolu, the poll strategist who created wonders for the Congress in Karnataka has started his work in all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state. His team from ‘Mindshare Analytics’ has started field study in the constituencies. Member of Task Force 2024 formed by the AICC leadership, Karnataka-born Kanugolu had attended the high-level meeting called by Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge in New Delhi a few days ago for the poll preparations. But interestingly, the majority of Congress leaders from the state didn’t recognize Kanugolu until K C Venugopal, national general secretary (organization), introduced him.
There are two phases for Wayanad Congress MP Rahul Gandhi - before and after Bharat Jodo Yatra. The credit for evolving Rahul Gandhi into a leader of reckoning goes to Kanugolu, following the success of BJY. This was followed by the Congress’ stupendous victory in the Karnataka Assembly election. Recently when Kharge invited the Kerala contingent comprising high-powered Political Affairs Committee members, MPs, MLAs and office-bearers to New Delhi for poll preparations, Kanugolu remained a mute spectator when the leaders spoke about their respective constituencies. Senior Congress leader M Liju told TNIE that Sunil Kanugolu and his ‘Mindshare Analytics’ team have not gotten in touch with the Congress state leadership.
“Kanugolu’s team has already kicked off field study in 20 LS constituencies. They will be working independently as we do not know what his modus operandi is,” said Liju.
Kanugolu has already proved his mettle under Prasant Kishor, another sought-after poll strategist, in BJP’s splendid victory in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election campaign in 2014 followed by a slew of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh (BJP), Uttarakhand (BJP), Himachal Pradesh (Congress), Gujarat (BJP) and recently in Karnataka (Congress). A senior Congress MP from Malabar told TNIE that Sunil Kanugolu was busy jotting down points when the leaders from Kerala spoke at the meeting.
“I could see that Kanugolu doesn’t talk much as it’s his actions which speak more about his work. This is not the first time the central Congress leadership has entrusted an external agency to hold a field survey among voters. But this is the first time a team is undertaking a serious study on poll aspects, taking stock of the role played by sitting MPs, the current situation, social combination and the winning prospects,” said a senior Congress MP.
It was at the mega conclave of the Congress, Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir, held at Udaipur last May that the then interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced the formation of the Taskforce -2024 aimed at bringing Congress back to power. Apart from Kanugolu, the other members of the Taskforce -2024 include P Chidambaram, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken.