Sunil Kanugolu is extensively seen as the important thing behind the Congress’ current election wins (File).
New Delhi:
Sunil Kanugolu – the strategist credited with orchestrating the Congress’ wins in Karnataka and Telangana – won’t be a part of its marketing campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Earlier a part of the Congress’ ‘Process Drive 2024’, he’ll now deal with prepping the social gathering’s Haryana and Maharashtra campaigns, sources near him instructed NDTV Friday.
Mr Kanugolu’s redeployment has been attributed to the actual fact he already has groups in place in these two states – each of which can vote inside seven months – and to a Congress eager to construct on final 12 months’s victories within the Karnataka and Telangana Meeting elections, recording massive wins over the ruling BJP and BRS, respectively.
Nevertheless, information the Congress’ key ballot tactician won’t be readily available to information the social gathering within the April/Might nationwide election has raised eyebrows. A senior chief, holding the rank of Normal Secretary, acknowledged his absence on the Lok Sabha marketing campaign is a “slight setback”, however instructed NDTV the Congress believes there’s higher long-term profit if he can use his ‘Midas contact’, to win key states from the BJP.
Mr Kanugolu, sources added, can even proceed to work with the Congress’ governments in Karnataka, the place he his now Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s major advisor, with a cupboard rank, and Telangana, the place he ousted ex-Chief Minister Ok Chandrashekar Rao and the BRS that has dominated since 2014.
READ | Congress’ Ballot Planner Now Chief Advisor To Karnataka Chief Minister
The significance of Mr Kanugolu to the Congress’ election equipment is probably greatest illustrated by the social gathering’s dismal performances in final 12 months’s Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections.
READ | Sunil Kanugolu, Knowledge-Pushed Strategist Behind Congress’ Karnataka Win
Mr Kanugolu held preliminary talks with leaders in these states, however neither Kamal Nath nor Ashok Gehlot, the social gathering’s oldest and de facto bosses in every, agreed to his calls for.
READ | Congress’ Telangana Strategist Snubbed In Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh
The Congress misplaced badly in every state. Sources later instructed NDTV the wins in Karnataka and Telangana have been the results of Mr Kanugolu being given a free hand in every.
The maths behind the Congress’ Lok Sabha election marketing campaign is considerably extra difficult, significantly with the social gathering juggling a number of allies, and seat-sharing calls for, as a part of the INDIA opposition bloc.
READ | INDIA Bloc Seat Sharing Talks In Progress For Maharashtra, UP Subsequent
In that context, Mr Kanugolu, hailed as a “man of concepts, with a deal with on the massive image”, will surely be a helpful asset, significantly since he has labored with the social gathering’s direct rival; he was a part of the BJP’s 2014 Lok Sabha marketing campaign.
The Congress, although, is probably going pondering (very) long-term. Wins in Karnataka and Telangana (and Himachal Pradesh, one other state the place Mr Kanugolu aided the social gathering) should be balanced in opposition to main losses, reminiscent of these in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh this 12 months, and Punjab in 2022.
The Congress was the ruling social gathering in three of those 4 states earlier than disjointed, and faction-ridden, campaigns gave the BJP and the AAP (which picked up Punjab) wins they need to not have had. The social gathering now has governments (of its personal) in simply three states in comparison with the BJP’s 12. It’s probably it’s banking on Mr Kanugolu, and his subject surveys, to win over and strengthen its place in key states because it seems to be to construct a powerful base.
Haryana, the place the BJP just isn’t in a very sturdy place regardless of holding the chief minister’s put up, and Maharashtra, a state in turmoil because the acrimonious break up within the Shiv Sena in June final 12 months, which dumped the Congress out of energy (it was a part of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi authorities), appear good locations to start out.
Andhra Pradesh, which can also be scheduled to vote this 12 months, will probably be handed over by Mr Kanugolu given the Congress does not actually have a presence there, regardless of the current entrance of YS Sharmila.
Among the many different states heading for Meeting elections in 2024 are Odisha, the place Chief Minister Naveen Patna’s BJD has a stranglehold, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Jharkhand can even vote however the Congress is already a part of the federal government there, having allied with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s JMM.
The massive check will probably be Jammu and Kashmir, which, if the Supreme Court docket’s order is adopted, will maintain a primary election because the controversial scrapping of particular standing beneath Article 370. The final Meeting ballot in J&Ok was in 2014.
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