BENGALURU: After scripting a massive victory in the state Assembly polls, Congress strategists are unlikely to go jobless anytime soon. They are now charged up to try the ‘Karnataka Model’ in the upcoming polls in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, hoping that the results in these states could set a trend for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The key strategist, Sunil Kanugolu, who has been appointed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s chief political adviser, is likely to focus on different polls till 2024. He has started travelling across the country again, after being busy with the Karnataka polls for the last nine months.
After studying the ground situation in different states, including Telangana -- which he is well versed with, he is likely to chalk out a plan and present it before the Congress high command as soon as party senior leader Rahul Gandhi returns from the United States, sources said.
Rahul, in one of his addresses in the US, had mentioned Karnataka polls, saying it was people’s vote against politics of hatred, price rise and unemployment. He had hoped that the trend would continue with the Assembly polls in other states. The strategy that was employed in Karnataka will be used in other states, political pundits said.
With this, the party will also try to tackle Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who are at loggerheads with each other, the sources said. Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister late YS Rajashekar Reddy’s daughter and YSR Telangana Party chief YS Sharmila Reddy has already reached out to KPCC president and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, indicating that her party could be an alliance option for the Grand Old Party, they added.
The strategists are unlikely to focus on BBMP and zilla and taluk panchayat polls in Karnataka, as their main aim will be the Lok Sabha elections. The party has set a target of winning at least 21 of the 28 seats. Already, the names of family members of veteran leaders are being discussed. Those are, Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra (Mysuru), Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s daughter Priyanka (Belagavi),
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Sowmya Reddy (Bengaluru South), former minister MS Seetaram’s son Raksha Ramaiah (Chikkaballapur), Hungund MLA Vijayananda Kashappanavar’s wife Veena (Bagalkot), Shanthinagar MLA NA Haris’ son Mohammed Haris Nalpad (Bengaluru Central) and former MP and actor Ramya AKA Divya Spandana (Mandya). They have been asked to star work on the ground, the sources said.
Scouting is also on for young faces and the names of Dr BC Muddugangadhar (Kolar), who surrendered the Mulbagal Assembly ticket obeying the party high command, and Nikethraj Mourya for Tumakuru have been discussed, they added.