MANGALURU: Many BJP workers in Dakshina Kannada district are not too happy with the elevation of Nalin Kumar Kateel as state BJP president.
A BJP worker from Belthangady taluk feels that Nalin is not a very competent politician, and this was proved when he was given the poll campaign charge of Kasaragod district. He faced strong anti-incumbency in the district, but won in the name of PM Narendra Modi. “Kateel would have lost the election if not for Modi,” the worker said.
The worker, seeking anonymity, said Angara, five-time MLA from Sullia, was not given his due in the state, though at the same time, Kateel was made president. “This decision does not affect Dakshina Kannada. Kateel is like a rubber stamp of National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh, which is bad,” he said.
Sunil Bajilakeri, BJP worker from Mangaluru, openly lashed out against the decision. He said the present Sangh Parivar wants “yes men”, and not those who question. “With Kateel, Santhosh wants to take control of Karnataka by placing his men at various organisational levels. He also wants to please his bosses, Amit Shah and Modi. There is a grand plan in the offing,” he observed.
Kateel is from the Bunt community, which is largely restricted to the coastal belt, Bajilakeri said. “Despite this fact, Santhosh chose Kateel, because through him, the party will make several changes to crush dissent in the BJP and establish full control,” he added.
Another BJP worker from Puttur said Dakshina Kannada is already a Hindutva bastion but now Team Santhosh wants to take control over the place, which explains Kateel’s elevation. “There are many senior leaders in Karnataka who could had been given the mantle,” he said, adding, “Kateel’s appointment is also a signal to Dakshina Kannada’s RSS ideologue, Prabhakar Bhat.”