KARWAR: Shivanand Naik, former minister and KSDC chairman, has emerged a strong contender to contest the elections from local bodies constituency in the district as the BJP candidate.
Party sources say that the name of Vinod Prabhu, president of the district unit of BJP and a close associate of Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde, was initially seen as the most probable BJP candidate.
But Prabhu has denied he was aspiring for a ticket. Recently, some BJP workers canvassed for the candidature of PM Tandel, a fishermen leader. However, Naik, considered to be close to Yeddyurappa, is now seen as likely to get the ticket.