Karnataka BJP state president, Nalinkumar Kateel, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday, 30 August. In a tweet, the leader who is also the Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, said he has been hospitalised following the advice of doctors. However, he does not have any symptoms, he said.
In his tweet, 54-year-old Kateel further said he is confident of returning to public life. He urged everyone who got in touch with him in recent days to exercise caution. Kateel has been seen holding several strategy meetings with BJP Karnataka office bearers over the last few weeks.
Kateel has also recently finished one year in office as the state BJP president. He was appointed for the post in August 2019 following the three year tenure of present Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.
Kateel has attracted controversies in the past for his hardline Hindutva approach.
He had even made comments supporting Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse and was later reprimanded by the BJP top brass in the Centre.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he was facing criticism for his lack of pro-activeness in sorting local problems in his constituency with respect to National Highway Authority of India works. He had also faced criticism from the opposition parties for not being vocal against the merger of Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda.
However, he emerged victorious at the elections with much ease. He defeated Congress leader Mithun Rai by a margin of 2,74,621 votes.
This development comes close to the heels of Congress state president DK Shivakumar testing positive for the virus on Tuesday. Shivakumar was admitted to Suguna hospital in Bengaluru's Rajajinagar.
Recently, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former CM and Leader of Opposition Siddaramiah had recovered from the disease following treatment at the same Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Karnataka has reported 3,27,076 COVID-19 cases with fatalities touching up to 5,483. More than 80 percent of the state’s COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic.
(The story was published in an arrangement with The News Minute.)
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