Who is Sunil Kanugolu? Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Education, Biography & More

Publish date: 2024-05-04

Sunil Kanugolu is a prominent political strategist and tactician in India. He has worked with various national and regional parties, such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

He is known for his innovative and data-driven campaign strategies that have helped several political leaders win elections.

Early Life and Background

Sunil Kanugolu was born in either 1982 or 1983 (sources vary) in Bellary, Karnataka, India. He belongs to a well-educated and affluent family. His father is a Kannadiga and his mother is a Telugu.

He grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He was interested in politics and social issues from a young age and participated in various debates and competitions.

Education

Sunil pursued a bachelor’s degree in technology at Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He then moved to the United States, where he completed a master’s degree in finance and a master of business administration at New York University, New York. He worked as a financial analyst and consultant for some time before returning to India to pursue his passion for politics.

Sunil Kanugolu Wiki/Bio

NameSunil Kanugolu
Age40-42 years old (estimate)
BirthplaceBellary, Karnataka, India
NationalityIndian
HometownBellary, Karnataka, India
College/UniversityAnna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
New York University, New York, USA
Educational Qualification(s)Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech)
Masters in Finance (MS)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Profession(s)Political Strategist, Tactician
Known asMan of Ideas
BrotherSushil Kanugolu (businessman)
WifeNot known
ChildrenTwo (a son and a daughter)
Food HabitNon-vegetarian
Social Media AccountsTwitter: @sunilkanugolu

Instagram: @sunilkanugolu
Homepagenewsunzip.com

Political Career

He started his career as a political strategist by working closely with Narendra Modi in 2010 and 2012, when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat. He was associated with Modi’s election campaigning during the 2012 Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, which resulted in a landslide victory for the BJP.

He then joined Prashant Kishor, another renowned political strategist, who formed the Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), a group that campaigned for the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Sunil was Prashant’s close aide and played a key role in designing and executing the BJP’s social campaigns, such as the Chai pe Charcha and 3D rallies. These campaigns helped the BJP to increase its vote share and public approval and ultimately led to Modi becoming the prime minister of India.

Sunil continued to work with the BJP and headed the Association of Billion Minds (ABM), the BJP’s personalized campaign organization. He was instrumental in the BJP’s election campaigns in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka, all of which saw the BJP emerge victorious. He also worked with various regional parties, such as the DMK and the AIADMK, in Tamil Nadu, and helped them win elections.

However, in 2015, Sunil parted ways with the BJP due to differences of opinion with the party’s high command. He also left Prashant Kishor’s team and founded his own strategy and consultancy firm, Mindshare Analytics. He then joined the Congress party in 2022 and accepted the offer to oversee its election campaigns in various states of India. He also became a member of the Congress’ 2024 Lok Sabha polls task force, headed by Sonia Gandhi.

He led the Congress’ in-house election strategy team, INClusive Minds, and came up with innovative campaign strategies, such as the PayCM and 40% sarkara campaigns, that successfully highlighted corruption allegations against the incumbent BJP governments. He also planned the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which helped the Congress connect with the people ahead of the crucial polls.

Sunil Kanugolu efforts paid off as the Congress won the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election, defeating the BJP and forming the government in the state. He also helped the Congress win the 2023 Telangana Assembly election, ending the rule of the BRS party and its chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. He is currently working on restoring the Congress’ political fortunes in other states, such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and most importantly, making the Congress a formidable and winning contender against the Modi-led BJP in the 2024 general elections.

Controversy and Legal Issues

Sunil Kanugolu has faced some controversy and legal issues in his career as a political strategist. In 2022, the Hyderabad Police raided his office over alleged derogatory posts shared on social media against the Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, the ruling BRS government, and Rao’s family.

They seized various electronic devices used by his team and arrested three of his staffers. The petition against Sunil was filed after a parody video posted on the Facebook page Telangana Galam went viral. The video footage was from the Telugu classic film Mayabazar, in which the makers edited and added images of Rao, his daughter K. Kavitha, and his son K. T. Rama Rao.

Sunil Kanugolu was named as an accused in the charge sheet filed by the police and was served a notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). He filed a petition in the Telangana High Court to nullify the FIR registered against him and the notice issued under Section 41A of the CrPC. Still, the High Court rejected his appeal and ordered him to appear before the Hyderabad Police and assist them with the investigation process.

The High Court also ordered the police not to use any coercive measures against him. He appeared before the police for questioning on 9 January 2023, along with Congress leader Anil Kumar Yadav. He denied any involvement in the video and refuted the allegations that it was made under his instructions to defame the family of the chief minister.

Parents & Siblings

Kanugolu is a private person and does not reveal much about his parents and siblings. He was born in Bellary, Karnataka, India, to a Kannadiga father and a Telugu mother.

He grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where he completed his primary and secondary education. He has a brother named Sushil Kanugolu, who is a businessman and the founder of Fipola, a modern meat retail company.

Net Worth & Income Sources

Sunil Kanugolu is one of the most successful and influential political strategists and tacticians in India. He has worked with various national and regional parties, such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

He is known for his innovative and data-driven campaign strategies that have helped several political leaders win elections. He is also the founder of his own strategy and consultancy firm, Mindshare Analytics.

His main sources of income are his fees for his political services and his earnings from his business ventures. According to some sources, his net worth is around $10K, while another source claims it is INR 3 Crores (approx.).

Physical Stats

Sunil Kanugolu is a fit and healthy person who maintains a good physique and posture. He stands 181 cm tall, which means he is 5 ft 11 in and weighs around 65 – 70 kg. He has black hair and black eyes. He is a non-vegetarian and likes to eat chicken and fish. He is also fond of reading books and watching

Wife & Children

Sunil is a private person and does not reveal much about his personal life and family. He is married and has two children, a son and a daughter, who are studying in Bengaluru. His brother, Sushil Kanugolu, is a businessman and the founder of Fipola, a modern meat retail company.

Sunil is a non-vegetarian and likes to eat chicken and fish. He is also fond of reading books and watching movies. He is active on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, where he shares his views and opinions on various political and social issues.

Achievements and Awards

Kanugolu is one of the most successful and influential political strategists and tacticians in India. He has helped several political parties and leaders win elections and form governments in various states of India. He is known for his innovative and data-driven campaign strategies that have changed the dynamics of Indian politics.

He has been praised and appreciated by many political leaders, analysts, and media personalities for his work and achievements. He has also been featured in various magazines and newspapers, such as India Today, The Hindu, The Times of India, and The Wire, as one of the most powerful and influential people in Indian politics.

Trivia

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