Nalin Kumar Kateel rubbishes reports of resigning as Karnataka BJP chief

During an interaction with reporters in Ballari, Kateel took the moral responsibility for his party's defeat in the Assembly election last month.

BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday denied resigning from the post.

The clarification comes after his press conference in Ballari, where he said taking moral responsibility for the party’s recent defeat in the Assembly polls he had submitted his ‘concerns’ and detailed letter to the national leaders of the party.

“I have taken moral responsibility for the defeat. I have given all the details and reasons for the party's defeat in the State. Whatever letter had to be submitted as State president, I have done,” he said.

However, later in the day state BJP unit issued a press release stating that the media has misconstrued his statement and that his resignation as State president is far from the truth.

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“I have completed two terms as State president, once as a temporary State president and later a full-time president. Though the term of State president is just for two years I have completed four years in the office,” he said.

Responding to a question on the appointment of a new State president, the Member of parliament from Mangaluru said the national leaders will take an appropriate decision in this regard,” he said in Bengaluru.

When asked about former minister V Somanna expressing his desire to become the BJP state president, the MP said: "I don’t have any aspirations to continue as president as my term is completed. Naturally, the state president has to be replaced because one person can be a president forever. Already the process of my replacement has begun,” he said.