New Delhi: A section of the central BJP leadership is pushing the candidature of Nalin Kumar Kateel, former BJP state unit president, for the bypoll to Karnataka Legislative Council from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Local Authorities’ Constituency. The byelection is scheduled for October 21.The elections were necessitated after Kota Srinivas Poojary vacated the seat following his victory in the Lok Sabha elections from Udupi-Chikmagalur seat. Kateel, a former MP, is considered close to BJP national general secretary (Organization) B L Santhosh. He was denied a ticket to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.Several contenders – including Dakshina Kannada district BJP president Satish Kampala, Mangaluru divisional in-charge Uday Kumar Shetty, former minister Pramod Madhwaraj and former Udupi district president Kuilady Suresh Nayak – are in race for the lone seat. Though the state unit has been favouring new faces, sources said that a senior leader in the central leadership was…
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