<p class="bodytext">Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought to life Congress veterans – Oommen Chandy, V S Achutanandan, E K Nayanar and K Karunakaran, to lead the party’s campaign in Kerala. It sure makes for better optics. However, behind the scene, a 40-member team led by a Bengalurean is quietly tracking the developments with their ears to the ground.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress war room in Kerala is led by Harsha Kanadam, son of former Karnataka Assembly Speaker and former MLA from Srinivasapura K R Ramesh Kumar, who has taken the campaign from the ground zero to the digital space - from pamphlets to data-driven messaging.</p>.PM Modi toured Assam 35 times, all Congress PMs can't match this figure ever: Devendra Fadnavis.<p class="bodytext">“Data is the key; time, a luxury,” says Harsha speaking to <span class="italic">DH</span>, who moved to Thiruvananthapuram last October to set up the hub where callers and data operators analyse feedback, track sentiment shifts and recalibrate campaign messaging in real time.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We have 10 desks, each handling 14 Assembly constituencies. We operate through WhatsApp groups and alert leadership for strategy decisions. We monitor rival campaigns online, flag misinformation and coordinate with legal teams to report violations to the Election Commission,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A graduate (BBM) in international finance and investment from the US and an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School, Bengaluru, Harsha returned to India in 2006 to pursue entrepreneurship. He joined the Congress war room set up during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil, who heads Congress’ national war room.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An observer in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi polls, he led the team in Rajasthan.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A defining moment was when KPCC president D K Shivakumar inducted him in 2023 and most thought he wouldn’t last. “One night, DK sir walked in at 1.30 am and found me working. He later told my father I was a better karyakarta.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harsha first deployed data analytics in his father’s 2013 campaign, helping him win consecutive terms in Srinivaspura, though the 2023 election proved different. He lost his mother to cancer in February 2023 but stepped in to help his father contest the elections in May. Asked about his political future, Harsha said, “If people see me as worthy, I will contest from Srinivasapura. My global exposure and grassroots work could be an advantage.”</p>
<p class="bodytext">Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought to life Congress veterans – Oommen Chandy, V S Achutanandan, E K Nayanar and K Karunakaran, to lead the party’s campaign in Kerala. It sure makes for better optics. However, behind the scene, a 40-member team led by a Bengalurean is quietly tracking the developments with their ears to the ground.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Congress war room in Kerala is led by Harsha Kanadam, son of former Karnataka Assembly Speaker and former MLA from Srinivasapura K R Ramesh Kumar, who has taken the campaign from the ground zero to the digital space - from pamphlets to data-driven messaging.</p>.PM Modi toured Assam 35 times, all Congress PMs can't match this figure ever: Devendra Fadnavis.<p class="bodytext">“Data is the key; time, a luxury,” says Harsha speaking to <span class="italic">DH</span>, who moved to Thiruvananthapuram last October to set up the hub where callers and data operators analyse feedback, track sentiment shifts and recalibrate campaign messaging in real time.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“We have 10 desks, each handling 14 Assembly constituencies. We operate through WhatsApp groups and alert leadership for strategy decisions. We monitor rival campaigns online, flag misinformation and coordinate with legal teams to report violations to the Election Commission,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A graduate (BBM) in international finance and investment from the US and an alumnus of Rashtriya Military School, Bengaluru, Harsha returned to India in 2006 to pursue entrepreneurship. He joined the Congress war room set up during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under former IAS officer Sasikanth Senthil, who heads Congress’ national war room.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An observer in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi polls, he led the team in Rajasthan.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A defining moment was when KPCC president D K Shivakumar inducted him in 2023 and most thought he wouldn’t last. “One night, DK sir walked in at 1.30 am and found me working. He later told my father I was a better karyakarta.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harsha first deployed data analytics in his father’s 2013 campaign, helping him win consecutive terms in Srinivaspura, though the 2023 election proved different. He lost his mother to cancer in February 2023 but stepped in to help his father contest the elections in May. Asked about his political future, Harsha said, “If people see me as worthy, I will contest from Srinivasapura. My global exposure and grassroots work could be an advantage.”</p>
