Mangaluru: The BJP High Command on Thursday announced its list of candidates for the 21 constituencies of the state, while it has not named candidates who will contest from seven other constituencies.

Amidst calls of oppositions from within the party against Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, the BJP high command persisted with the sitting MP and handed him the party ticket for the third consecutive LS elections.

He was earlier given ticket in 2009 and 2014 by the party high command, wherein he won on both the occasions defeating Congress’ Janardhan Poojary each time.

This time around Sangh Parivar leader Satyajit Suratkal had demanded ticket for him and had gathered support for himself within the party. But the oarty high command persisted with the two-time MP and has banked upon him to win the constituency for the party.

In 2009, Kateel won the election against Congress candidate Janardhan Poojary by over 40,000 votes, while in 2014 he defeated Poojary by 1.43 lakh votes.

There's always been a debate how Nalin Kumar has failed to develop the constituency and in such a scenario it will be interesting to see who the Congress party will select to contest against the two times MP.

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New Delhi, Jan 9: The CBI has registered a fresh case of corruption against former finance minister P Chidambaram's son and Congress MP, Karti Chidambaram, for allegedly giving relief to alcoholic beverage company Diageo Scotland over a ban on the duty-free sale of its whisky, officials said Thursday.

The case pertains to an alleged suspicious payment made to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd, "an entity controlled" by Karti P Chidambaram and his close aide S Bhaskararaman by Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capitals, the CBI FIR said.

"Enquiry revealed that out of various proposals of FIPB enquired into, it was found that Diageo Scotland and Sequoia Capitals have suspiciously transferred funds to Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt. Ltd., an entity controlled by Sh. Karti P Chidambaram and his close aide S Bhaskararaman," it said.

The agency alleged that its enquiry has found that Diageo Scotland, UK used to import duty-free Johnnie Walker whisky.

No immediate reaction was available from the suspects named in the FIR.

In April 2005, the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which had a monopoly over the sale of imported duty-free liquor in India, put an embargo on the sale of the Diageo Group's duty-free products in India, which resulted in a huge loss to Diageo Scotland as 70 per cent of its business in India pertained to the sale of Johnnie Walker whisky, the agency alleged.

The CBI FIR alleged that Diageo Scotland approached Karti Chidambaram, seeking help in lifting the ban and made payments of USD 15,000 to Advantage Strategic Consulting, which took it in the guise of "consultancy fee".