Ex-BJP President Nalin Kateel plans to contest from Puttur to revive career

Bengaluru/Mangaluru

Former Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel has reportedly set his sights on the Puttur Assembly constituency in the Dakshina Kannada district to revive his political career. Sources in the BJP, speaking to blrpost.com, said, “Kateel has unobtrusively begun efforts to secure a coveted ticket for Puttur, even though the polls are nearly two years away.”

No doubt, the coming election in this Assembly segment would be more interesting, as multiple political and non-political individuals are vying for the seat. BJP leader Arun Kumar Puttila is already traversing across Puttur in the hope of securing a ticket, while a lesser-known businessman, Ujwal Prabhu, is also contemplating entering the fray. Besides, BJP sources say that the incumbent Congress MLA, Ashok Rai, is also considering switching parties and recontesting. Rai is already seen as leaning toward the BJP with his soft Hindutva politics.

Kateel is now a new entrant in the fierce competition for the constituency, which is dubbed South India’s RSS heartland. Kateel, who rose from being an ordinary party worker to becoming the Karnataka BJP President, is now sidelined. He was the party’s choice for Parliament from Dakshina Kannada in 2009 and was then backed by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.

In 2014, he had a tiff with Bhat and sought the support of another Sangh Parivar leader, B L Santosh, who is presently the National General Secretary (Organisation). Kateel, who was on the verge of losing the MP ticket in 2014, was saved by Santosh. He later became one of Santosh’s close confidants and was subsequently rewarded with the party presidency. He served as state president between 2019 and 2023. The post is now held by B.Y. Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Kateel also lost the MP ticket in 2024 to Brijesh Chouta.

As Kateel is gradually fading from active politics with no significant position, he reportedly wants to make a comeback, a senior BJP leader said. With Brijesh Chouta appearing to dominate as MP in the district, Kateel understands that his chances of returning to Parliament are slim. The only viable option for him is state politics. Kateel believes that with the backing of Santosh, he can secure the Puttur seat and possibly convince Puttila to cooperate. He is consolidating support for himself through his loyalists in the taluk. 

However, party workers in Puttur say that Kateel was instrumental in denying a ticket to Puttila in the 2023 Assembly elections. They claim they will not work for Kateel if the party chooses him. Moreover, Puttila has become a significant force in the constituency. Even if he contests independently, as he did in 2023, he is likely to emerge victorious. In the last polls, he lost to the Congress candidate by a narrow margin. Workers hope that the party leadership will not repeat the same mistake.