Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Mar 6: The last time a bunt candidate was fielded by a political party from the local Loksabha constituency was in 1971 when K K Shetty was fielded by the National Congress party. He had won that election. No member from the community got the thumbs up for the Loksabha candidature from here, since then.

The period after Shetty has seen the constituency being represented by Billavas, Okkaliga Gowda community and Jains, but not the Bunts, irrespective of the fact that the community has a sizable presence and enormous clout in the region. Nalin Kumar Kateel, the BJP candidate, will be the first from the community after the late K K Shetty, to test his luck in the election, on behalf of a national party.

At present, there are two legislative constituencies under this Loksabha constituency, being represented by Bunts i.e. Puttur and Bantwal. Both D V Sadanand Gowda, BJP candidate for Udupi-Chikmagalur Loksabha constituency and Kateel, candidate for the city constituency, are the old students of Puttur St Philomena College.

Nalin Kumar Kateel is a native of Kunjadi in Paltady, Puttur taluk. He did his education through various institutes located in Puttur taluk.