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Around 12 Congress legislators from Odisha were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and are currently staying at a resort near Bidadi on the city’s outskirts
Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar (seated 4th from left) with Odisha legislators. (News18)
In a move reflecting the Congress party’s crisis-management strategy ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar has stepped in to keep the party’s flock together by hosting a group of Odisha Congress MLAs in Bengaluru amid fears of cross-voting.
Around 12 Congress legislators from Odisha were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and are currently staying at a resort near Bidadi on the outskirts of the city. Sources said the MLAs will remain in Karnataka until Monday before returning to Bhubaneswar to participate in the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled for March 16.
The relocation comes amid intense political manoeuvring in Odisha after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded three candidates for four Rajya Sabha seats, increasing the possibility of cross-voting. A total of five candidates are in the fray for the four seats—BJP has fielded three candidates, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) one candidate, while the Congress and BJD have jointly backed noted neurologist Dr Datteshwar Hota, former director of Odisha Medical University.
Each candidate requires 30 votes to secure victory in the election. The joint BJD-Congress candidate is estimated to have 32 votes—with BJD holding 18 MLAs, Congress 14, and the CPI(M) one vote—giving the alliance a slender margin. However, party leaders fear attempts at poaching by rivals.
Particularly vulnerable are eight first-time Congress MLAs, who are believed to be targets of political inducements. These legislators—Rajan Ekka, Ashok Das, Appala Kumar Swamy, Mangu Killo, Pavitra Sauntha, Nilamadhav Hikka, Prafulla Pradhan and Sathyajit Gomongo—are among those currently staying at the Wonderla resort near Bengaluru.
Speaking about the development, Shivakumar said the move was made at the request of the Odisha Congress leadership.
“We have a secular candidate in Odisha. Their PCC president called me and requested support. As the Karnataka Congress president, I invited them to Bengaluru and made all the arrangements. The BJP has attempted Operation Kamala and given big offers to lure them,” Shivakumar said.
The Odisha Assembly has a total strength of 147 members, and with the numbers for the joint candidate being tight, the Congress leadership appears keen to avoid any last-minute surprises.
Shivakumar, known within the party for managing delicate political situations and safeguarding legislators during crucial votes, once again appears to be playing the role of the Congress’ go-to troubleshooter as the high-stakes Rajya Sabha election approaches.
Bidadi, India, India
March 14, 2026, 09:54 IST
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