Mangalore: With State BJP President KS Eshwarappa rising to the post of Deputy Chief Minister, there has arisen the need for the BJP to find a new candidate for State BJP Presidentship. Even Eshwarappa has said that a new appointment would be made soon.

In the meantime, it is surprising to note that the name of Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel is doing the rounds for this top post. Though earlier there was an impression that it would be either former CM Sadananda Gowda or BJP National General Secretary Ananth Kumar, now, it is being said that the chances of either of these two making it to the top, was remote.

It is believed that the party high command was keen on making Nalin the state chief of the party to suppress the dissidence that has cropped up after the coastal MLAs have virtually rebelled against the Shettar government for not giving any representation to the coastal district in the cabinet except for Kota Srinivas Poojari.

It is believed that already the senior BJP leaders have given green signal for the same.