‘Resort politics’ is back and this time it has reached Odisha. At least 10 to 12 Congress MLAs from Odisha were flown from Bhubaneswar and lodged at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar claimed that the BJP wants to induce Congress MLAs to cross-vote in favour of its candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections on March 16.

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“There is a fear that the BJP may carry out ‘Operation Lotus’. They are putting a lot of pressure on our MLAs, offering them big inducements. They want to win the Rajya Sabha seat by hook or by crook,” said Shivakumar after meeting the Odisha MLAs.

The MLAs reportedly arrived around 1 am at a resort, nearly 30 kilometres from the state capital, amid heavy police security. About 15 rooms were reportedly reserved in the name of a local Congress leader.

Sources told India Today that the move was coordinated by Shivakumar after the BJP fielded a candidate for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat. The MLAs are expected to remain in Bengaluru until Monday before they return to Bhubaneswar for voting.

The BJP is assured of two Rajya Sabha seats while the Biju Janata Dal can win one seat. The bone of contention is the fourth seat, where the Congress and the BJD have fielded a joint candidate, Datteshwar Hota, a prominent Urologist. The Congress has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and needs 18 votes from the BJD to secure Hota’s victory.

“Winning the fourth seat will add strength to the INDIA alliance. The BJP is doing what it usually does. We will do what we have to do,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

A known troubleshooter for the Congress, Shivakumar had previously flown Gujarat MLAs to Karnataka in 2017, ensuring senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s victory in the Rajya Sabha polls.

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Published By:

Aprameya Rao

Published On:

Mar 13, 2026 23:46 IST

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