As the 2023 state elections are bound in Karnataka, the Congress party has hired a Mr X as their chief strategist. Mr X or as known as Sunil Kanugolu is the chief of the Hyderabad-based Mindshare Analytics. Mr Kanugolu is responsible for strategizing the party during the state elections.
However, Mr Kanugolu was not a Congress man but was always associated with the BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 2017 UP state elections. He also led the Association of Brilliant Minds (ABM), the BJP’s personalised campaign organisation.
His political-strategic career spans over a decade with over a dozen elections under his belt. He has strategized elections for various national and regional parties. Furthermore, various reports suggest that he has crossed paths with the ace political strategist Prashant Kishore.
While Mr Kanugolu appears to have worked with a number of national and regional parties, he remains a media recluse. He does not have any social media handles, nor does he have a public photograph.
He has also worked on campaigns for the DMK, Akali Dal, AIADMK, and Telegu Desam Party (TDP).
In June 2019, when several members belonging to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly had resigned, the state government collapsed. The UPA coalition, which included the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress, ruled the state. After the UPA government collapsed, the BJP seized the opportunity and formed the state government. The BJP appointed BS Yediyurappa as the CM.
However, in 2021, BS Yediyurappa resigned from his post and Basavaraj Bommai was sworn in as the CM. Karnataka’s elections in 2023 are expected to take place in May.
References: The Quint
Featured image source: The Hans India
