Sunil Kanugolu was the lead strategist for the Congress Party going into the Karnataka Assembly Elections. After a comprehensive victory in the elections, the Congress party has offered Kanugolu a cabinet-rank position. According to reports, Kanugolu is all set to be appointed as the advisor to the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The 41-year-old political strategist is the former head of the Association of Brilliant Minds (ABM). He has previously worked with several other political parties, including the likes of the Bharatiya Janata Party and DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Credits – Hindustan Times
Reports regarding the appointment of Kanugolu as the CM’s advisor come two weeks after Siddaramaiah took oath as the chief minister of the state, on May 20.
Reports suggest that a formal order regarding the appointment of Kanugolu, along with a possible cabinet rank has already been initiated. The decision is yet to be communicated through official channels.
Credits – Deccan Herald
“A proposal has been sent for him (Kanugolu) to be made the CM’s advisor,” said an aide to the Chief Minister, according to a report by The Print.
In May 2022, Sonia Gandhi added Kanugolu to the party’s 2024 Lok Sabha election task force which also included the likes of P Chidambaram, Mukul Wasnik, KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Jairam Ramesh.
Kanugolu became a part of the Congress party’s ecosystem after seasoned strategist Prashant Kishore declined an offer from the party. Kanugolu was associated with Prashant Kishore for political strategy. After splitting away from Kishore, Kanugolu worked with DMK chief MK Stalin and worked on his “Namakku Naame” campaign ahead of the 2016 Assembly polls.
Karnataka Congress Chief strategist Sunil kanugolu appointed as CM Siddaramaiah's Chief Advisor
Cabinet minister rank awarded to Sunil for strategising historic sweep for Congress in ktaka#KarnatakaNews pic.twitter.com/0V2nCJ0H0H
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) May 31, 2023
In 2018, Kanugolu worked with the then BJP Chief Amit Shah in Delhi. With the Bharatiya Janata Party, Kanugolu worked in several state election campaigns such as Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, etc.
For the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections, Kanugolu worked closely with the Karnataka Congress high command to bring the party back in power. One of the most effective ways to strengthen the Congress position in the state was picking candidates on the basis of a survey conducted by his team.
