BENGALURU: For the second time, baiters of BJP member of parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel (Dakshina Kannada) launched a campaign on social media, “Nalin Hatao, Karavali Karyakarta Bachao,” appealing to central leaders of the party to deny Mr Kateel the ticket for next year’s elections. In 2014, too, Mr Kateel faced a similar campaign with advocate P.P. Hegde and Srikar Prabhu lobbying against him. They were, however, suspended from membership of the party by top leaders.
This time, the group was knit together in 2017, but got active recently with messages claiming that they were ‘BJP karyakartas’. “Incapable MP, not suitable for Mr Modi government. Since I am a honest party worker and fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I will not allow his image to be tarnished. Thus I demand a change of the candidate”, stated one message posted by one of the party workers. Another message, “Mangaluru MP report card,” stated that “BJP workers have lost hope about the incumbent MP, so please change him”.
Few messages squarely targeting Mr Kateel stated that the MP was responsible for a series of accidents on national highway NH 66 as the expansion work was not completed.. Party workers have also urged fellow workers to send emails to central leaders not to field an “ineffective” MP like Mr Kateel.
A close aid of the MP said the “campaign against Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel was the handiwork of suspended BJP leaders Srikar Prabhu and High Court advocate P.P. Hegde. Both these leaders are prevailing upon state and central leadership to revoke their suspension, but the party refused to heed their pleas. With Mr Nalin Kumar vehemently opposing their reentry into the BJP, both leaders are supporting the social media campaign against our MP”, the aid added.
In an effort to counter the campaign against him, Mr Nalin Kumar Kateel has published a book on his achievements over the last four years and request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release it. Mr Nalin Kumar also said stated that veteran RSS leader of Dakshina Kannada, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, was working against him. In 2014, Mr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat joined others in opposing his candidature and therefore he too could be backing the social media campaign. The MP, however, was confident that notwithstanding the ongoing campaign against him, the party would consider his candidature for 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
