Synopsis
Rahul Gandhi, now the Leader of Opposition, has taken on his first constitutional role in 25 years. Supported by a key team, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Alankar Sawai, and Kaushal Vidyarthi, he leads Congress’s strategic and political moves. This team manages everything from logistics to social media, playing a crucial role in Gandhi’s political activities and election strategies.
AgenciesFor Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the post of Leader of Opposition (LoP) is the first constitutional post he has occupied in his 25 years as a parliamentarian. His role and responsibilities have increased after being elected as the LoP, where he would be required to lead and initiate the opposition’s viewpoint on several subjects. There are nine to 10 key members of his team who handle every part of Rahul Gandhi behind the scenes. ET looked at the key people in the Team LoP and the responsibilities they are entrusted with.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Team
Congress president and the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha is the senior most leader in the party who gets support from all factions of the party. Kharge has been the force behind the formation of the INDIA alliance before the Lok Sabha polls. During the parliament session, he, with the help of his team, finalises floor strategy for the opposition. He is the face of Congress when it comes to dealing with the INDIA partners and even the government.
Alankar Sawai
A former ICICI bank employee Sawai has been working with Rahul Gandhi for many years. He is Gandhi’s the eyes and ears and the last checkpoint before anyone gets to meet Rahul Gandhi. An Ambedkarite and Buddhist by ideology, Sawai keeps Gandhi’s interest above everything, and Gandhi reciprocates by following his suggestions and advice. Over the years, Sawai has developed a team of people across the country who provide direct ground intelligence to him. Accordingly, he uses the information to plan trips and programs as well as political strategies for Rahul Gandhi. He maintains a very low profile and remains very guarded to avoid any controversy. In 2023, the Enforcement Directorate questioned him over some financial transactions to Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale. He walked alongside Rahul Gandhi in the entire Bharat Jodo Yatra and arranged meetings with non-political activists and youngsters with Rahul Gandhi.
Kaushal Vidyarthi
The Oxford graduate from Bihar, Kaushal Vidyarthi is as important as Sawai in Rahul Gandhi’s scheme of things. In 2019, Vidyarthi was the official personal secretary to Rahul Gandhi. He is mostly visible with Rahul Gandhi during the parliament session or travels. He is the link between Gandhi and other political leaders. The communication from Rahul Gandhi to other leaders of the party goes via Vidyarthi and vice versa. Apart from setting meetings, appointments, and preparing a day plan for Gandhi, Vidyarthi provides inputs for Gandhi’s speeches with the support of a back-end research team. He also lays out tour plans for Rahul Gandhi, coordinating with leaders on the ground till the task is completed. The soft spoken Vidyarthi is considered very approachable within the party system, who listens to everyone and provides feedback to Rahul Gandhi.
KB Byju
The former SPG officer KB Byju left his job in 2010 and joined Rahul Gandhi’s team. Byju looks after the complete logistics and travel of the leader of opposition. He coordinates with the security team regarding Gandhi’s movement and ensures smooth execution of the travel plan taking all required clearances from different government departments. He plans the tour for Gandhi and accordingly deploys trusted Congress volunteers and workers for assistance. He was also with Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra across the country. In January this year, a case was filed by Assam Police against Byju and other Congress leaders for diverting from the route of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jorhat. He was also questioned by the state police in February.
KC Venugopal
Congress general secretary (organization), K C Venugopal is one of the most trusted political brains of Rahul Gandhi. In 2011, as a first time Lok Sabha MP from Alleppey Venugopal became a junior minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet. He won again in 2014. In 2017, he became a general secretary of the Congress and has handled states like Goa and Karnataka. He is considered as someone who douses fires in the party in states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka. In 2019, when there was a lookout for another seat for Rahul Gandhi, Venugopal convinced him to contest from Wayanad. In the same year, he became general secretary, organization, of the party and is a close confidant of Gandhi. Whether it is taking any political decision or coordinating with the alliance partners in the parliament and outside, Venugopal is the go-to man.
Sunil Kanugolu
Poll Strategist Sunil Kanugolu started working with Congress in 2022 and was part of the Congress election task force for 2024. He is credited with the Karnataka and Telangana assembly victories for the Congress and Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. He was associated with Prashant Kishor before venturing out on himself to work with Congress. Kanugolu is someone who does survey and campaign management for the party as well as provides insights to Rahul Gandhi. He also offers political inputs and suggestions and future planning for upcoming elections and narrative building.
B Srivatsa
A Congress worker, B Srivatsa joined Gandhi’s team in 2021. Srivatsa started as a Congress booth worker in Karnataka way back in 2004 and moved to Youth Congress and later to Karnataka Congress. In between he worked in the software industry for 10 years with companies like Wipro and Bosch. He was handling the social media and communication of Karnataka Congress and then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In 2021, he moved on to Delhi to work completely on Gandhi’s social media presence and narrative building. From handling Gandhi’s social media accounts to coordinating with Congress national social media and communication team as well as state teams, Srivatsa has his hands full. He has developed a core team which works on Gandhi’s meetings, his yatras, election programs and develops content for social media. He is the person behind whatever goes on Rahul Gandhi’s social media accounts after discussion and approval from Gandhi himself.
Manickam Tagore
The three-time Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu is currently the Congress whip in the Lok Sabha. A Congressman from his young days, Tagore is Gandhi’s trusted field worker who gets important tasks to handle. He also provides inputs from southern states and works as a messenger for Rahul Gandhi. During the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress candidate from Patiala, Dharmveer Gandhi was Rahul Gandhi’s bet. Gandhi sent Tagore as observer to ensure victory in Patiala.
Gaurav Gogoi
The deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi is close to Gandhi since his first stint as parliamentarian. Gogoi is now one of the prominent voices of Congress within the parliament and he has the backing of Rahul Gandhi. He was part of the fact-finding committee of the party in Karnataka to see why the party couldn’t perform as desired in the Lok Sabha elections. He was earlier the head of the screening committee for Rajasthan to finalise party candidates. Rahul Gandhi usually takes input from him on northeast states and several issues of national importance.
Sam Pitroda
The chief of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda is close to the Gandhi family for decades. Pitroda recently quit as the chairman of overseas department of Congress after his controversial comments during the Lok Sabha elections. He is back as the chairman. Pitroda is responsible for organizing Gandhi’s interaction and visits abroad. Apart from preparing a detailed overseas engagement plan, Pitroda coordinates Gandhi’s foreign visits and interactions with different communities.
