Congress MLAs who have arrived from Odisha to Bidadi at a resort in Bengaluru South district are KPCC President and DCM D K Shivakumar.
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Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, several Congress MLAs from Odisha have arrived in Bengaluru and are reportedly staying at a resort, amid growing concerns within the party about possible poaching attempts by the BJP.
Congress leaders say the move is a precautionary measure to shield legislators from outside influence. The BJP, however, has flatly denied any involvement and dismissed the allegation as a politically motivated narrative.
Congress has 14 Legislators in the 147-member assembly. 8 of these ‘vulnerable’ Congress MLAs have flown into Bangalore. Rajya Sabha polls are scheduled on the 16th of this month and legislators are expected to fly back for the voting.
A senior Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited a pattern of behaviour as the basis for their concern. “For the past few years the BJP has been poaching opposition party MLAs and Rajya Sabha members,” the leader said. He pointed to Karnataka as a key example, alleging that the BJP formed three state governments through “Operation Kamala” by engineering defections among opposition legislators. “They have done the same in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and many other places, so that apprehension is natural,” he added.
The leader suggested that the MLAs, or State party officials, may have acted on credible information or suspicion that influence attempts were imminent ahead of the polls.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, however, distanced himself from coordinating the visit. “I do not know why they have come. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President called me and told me they are coming to Bengaluru,” he told reporters. He added that such arrangements were not unusual in the lead-up to elections, and that he was simply following party direction.
Claims rejected
However, BJP spokesperson rejected these claims. BJP spokesperson M G Mahesh rejected the poaching allegation outright, accusing the Congress leadership of manufacturing a narrative for political gain. BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, who represents the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency, went further, arguing that the episode exposed a deeper dysfunction within the Congress. “They are keeping MLAs in other States because they fear the voting might swing,” she said, calling it a reflection of the party’s internal weakness.
As the Rajya Sabha election date draws closer, the war of words between the two parties shows little sign of abating — and the question of whether legislators can be freely influenced during the poll process remains firmly in the spotlight.
The writer is an intern. With inputs from ANI
Published on March 13, 2026