Rajya Sabha polls: Congress MLAs offered Rs 5 crore to cross-vote, says DK Shivakumar

Two persons from Odisha have been handed over to the police for allegedly attempting to influence Congress MLAs from the State with an offer of Rs 5 crore each to vote in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16, deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar said on Sunday.

Local BJP workers allegedly helped four men from Odisha book rooms in Bengaluru and arrange meetings with Congress legislators from the State. The MLAs, however, refused to meet them and alerted party leaders, Shivakumar, who is also president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, told reporters.

Congress workers managed to catch hold of two of the men, who were allegedly found carrying blank cheques, while two others managed to escape. The party has lodged a police complaint, and the police are investigating, Shivakumar said.


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The Congress has lodged eight first-time MLAs from Odisha at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru to insulate them from alleged poaching attempts by the BJP, which is seeking to secure a third seat in the Rajya Sabha polls from the State.

The party, along with the Biju Janata Dal and CPI(M) as part of the INDIA bloc, is backing the candidature of veteran urologist Dr Datteswar Hota for the fourth seat.

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Elections are being held for four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha, but the contest has intensified with five candidates in the fray. In the 147-member Odisha Assembly, a candidate requires 30 votes to secure victory.

While the BJP has fielded three candidates, the Congress has nominated one candidate and, along with the BJD and CPI(M), is supporting Hota for the fourth seat.

The Congress-BJD combine is confident of securing the fourth seat with the support of BJD’s 18 votes, Congress’ 14 votes and CPI(M)’s one vote.