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Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Dec 5: Member of parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday December 5 said that he and MP Shobha Karandlaje would raise the issue of Yettinahole project in the parliament and also take a delegation to the union ministers concerned.

Addressing a press meet at the BJP office here, he said, "Yesterday (Friday December 4) an all-party meeting was called by the chief minister. Our leaders conveyed the same message which we wanted to convey. What we have been saying is, we have no problem in giving water to Kolar but this project costing Rs 12,000 crore may go waste and the money would be pocketed by some.

"MP Shobha Karandlaje and I will raise the issue in Lok Sabha. We have already informed union water resources minister Uma Bharti and environment minister Prakash Javdekar about it and soon we will take a delegation to both the ministers. As there is no clearance from the Green Tribunal, we can take up the issue with the environment minister," he said.

Asked to respond to senior Congress leader Janardhan Poojary's statements on the project earlier in the day, he declined to comment.
He also said that BJP is gearing up to face the upcoming MLC elections and that its preparatory arrangements are all in place.

"MLC elections are due all over the state. There is provision to announce two candidates for each constituency, but in Dakshina Kannada-Udupi, BJP has announced only one candidate, that is Kota Srinivas Poojary who is the sitting MLC.

"There are about 6,513 voters for the MLC polls in Dakshina Kannada, and has more than 3,500 of them are from BJP," he added.

"In Congress there is a lot of confusion over candidate for Dakshina Kannada-Udupi seat and more than four people are saying they are aspirants. Our candidate will submit the nomination papers on December 9 and then start touring the district," he said.

"On December 20, former chief minister Yeddyurappa will visit both the districts along with Kota Srinivas who has been MLC for the past two tenures and has done very good work. BJP has announced candidates for 12 seats across the state already and the rest will be annoucned shortly," he informed.

Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary, BJP district president Pratap Simha Nayak and others were present.general secretary.