On the second day of nomination filing for the parliamentary election, two candidates from Dakshina Kannada constituency - Nalin Kumar Kateel representing Bharatiya Janata Party and Supreeth Kumar from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) filed their nominations with the Returning Officer, on Thursday.

Nalin Kumar Kateel arrived at the deputy commissioner’s office for filing nominations, along with a few BJP leaders and supporters. BJP District President Pratap Simha Nayak, MLC Monappa Bhandari, Sullia MLA S Angara and former MLA and BJP Election Publicity Committee Chairman Rukmaiah Poojary were present while filing the nomination. Nalin has filed three sets of nomination papers.

In the affidavit submitted to the Returning Officer, Kateel has said that he has movable assets worth Rs 5.37 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 6 lakh. While, his wife Shridevi N Shetty has movable assets worth Rs 45.69 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 35 lakh. Both his children, Sannidhi and Sanskruthi have movable assets of Rs 61,111 each.

Kateel’s movable assets include Rs 30,000 in cash, Rs 3.20 lakh as deposits in various banks and financial institutions, Rs 90,000 investments, two vehicles worth Rs 6 lakh, jewellery worth Rs 92,000. Nalin does not own a motor vehicle in his name, while his wife owns two, namely a Maruthi Alto and an excavator valued at Rs 16,70,000 and she also possesses jewellery worth Rs 28 lakh.

Nalin’s immovable asset comprises of an agricultural land (ancestral) in Kadaba hobli in Puttur taluk, measuring 8.19 acre. His wife owns a flat in Mangalore, where Nalin resides and the flat has the current market value of Rs 35 lakh.

On the liabilities side, Nalin Kumar has no liabilities or loans to be repaid, while his wife has taken loan of Rs 14.93 lakh from two different banks. He has filed an income tax returns of Rs 3.90 lakh and his wife has filed IT returns of Rs 6.36 lakh.

Compared to the assets and liabilities of Nalin that was submitted during the last parliament election, there has been an increase in his and his wife’s assets, while the amount of liabilities has come down. In the affidavit submitted in 2009, Nalin had declared movable assets worth Rs 11.33 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 2.5 lakh. His wife owned movable assets of Rs 15.53 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 25 lakh. He had liabilities of Rs 4.56 lakh, which is nil now and his wife had liabilities of Rs 23.5 lakh. He is a SSLC pass out and there is one case pending against him in First Class Court, Sullia.

The Returning Officer has said that NCP candidate Supreeth Kumar has not produced assets and liabilities and ‘B’ form while filing the nomination.

Confidence of victory

Speaking to mediapersons after filing nominations, Nalin denied the rumours of differences of opinion prevailing within the party members against his candidature and expressed confidence of winning the election with a huge margin. “My candidature was finalised based on a unanimous decision and I did not request anybody to give me the ticket. The rumours are spread by other political parties in an attempt to conspire against the BJP. All are united in the party and I have observed more enthusiasm among the party workers and voters during my campaigning,” he said.