Dakshina Kannada: Know your MP candidates

As many as 13 candidates including sitting BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel are in the fray to contest the Lok Sabha Election from the Dakshina Kannada Constituency. With the last day of withdrawing nominations long gone now, these candidates have been approved and are certain to take on one another in the April 18, polling day.

One of the 14 candidates who filed nominations decided to withdraw his nomination, leave the 13 in the fray.

BJP retained the incumbent MP Nalin Kumar Kateel for Dakshina Kannada while Congress selected a new, fresh face against its rival and gave the seat to youth leader Mithun Rai. Meanwhile Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) also has strongly fielded its state president from the constituency and has projected itself as the ‘alternate’ to the BJP and Congress.

It is important for the voters to know the candidates in the fray and who they will be voting for to represent them in the parliament for next five years.

Vartha Bharati brings you the details and information of the three leading candidates of major political parties BJP, Congress and SDPI who are expected to have most voters’ attention on the polling day.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP (Lotus): The two times BJP MP from the Dakshina Kannada Constituency was retained by the BJP high command going into the Lok Sabha Election. Kateel filed his nomination papers on Friday March, 29 which was also the last day for filing nomination.

According to the affidavit attached to the nomination papers of Kateel, the highest educational qualification of the BJP candidate is SSLC that he completed in 1983 from St. Philomina High School Puttur.

The 52-year old leader has 4 criminal cases pending against him but has not been convicted in any as yet.

He hold movable assets worth 6,55,251.80 Rs. while his wife has movable assets worth 30,42,048.36 Rs. Two daughters of the MP have 84,000/- Rs. each in their bank accounts.

The MP also has a 1/4^th share in a land which is currently valued at 80,52,000/- making his the shareholder of 20,13,000/-.

Apart from the assets Kateel also has liabilities worth 4,43,241.60 in the form of home loan he availed from a bank.

Mithun M Rai, Congress (Hand): The Congress high command opted for a young, new face to contest against the incumbent BJP MP from the constituency and selected District Youth Congress President Mithun Rai as its candidate for the forthcoming election.

Mithun is a graduate in Business Management from SDM BBM College of the city and belong to 2007-08 academic batch of the college.

The 34-year old leader has 1 criminal case pending against him but has not been convicted in any as yet.

He holds movable assets worth Rs. 34, 07,720/- while his spouse has movable assets worth Rs. 42, 27,137.50.

He also owns immovable assets worth Rs. 1, 02,69,133/-.

Mithun also has liabilities worth Rs 1, 48,04,098/- in form of loans availed from banks and other financial institutions.

Mohammed Ilyas Thumbay: Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) during the party’s district convention announced that its state president Mohammed Ilyas Thumbay will contest the election from the constituency and has since then been working day in and day out to gather support from the voters. The party has pitched itself as the alternate to the two political giants Congress and BJP and has been seeking votes with the agenda.

Ilyas’ highest educational qualification is PUC from St. Aloysius College Mangaluru which he completed in the academic year 1983-84.

Ilyas has no pending criminal case or any criminal record against him.

He has movable assets worth Rs. 3,45,047 while his spouse hold movable assets worth 1,36,593/- Rs. His two sons have movable assets worth 10,000/- Rs.

According to Ilyas’ affidavit he doesn’t possess any immovable property or assets nor any of his family members do.

There are no liabilities on Ilyas Thumbay.

Apart from these three, 10 other candidates including 7 independent candidates will contest the election from Dakshina Kannada constituency. The list also includes one candidate each from BSP, Uttama Prajaakaya Party and Hindustan Janata Party.