The Congress has detained nine Odisha legislators at a resort in Karnataka, while the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has begun a three-day training camp at party chief Naveen Patnaik’s residence to prevent cross-voting in the very tight battle for the fourth seat in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for next week.
The aggressive security operations come against the backdrop of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) extending its support to Dilip Rai, a former union minister who is contesting the Rajya Sabha elections as an independent.
The Congress, which has 14 members in Odisha Parliament, sent nine of its members to a resort outside Bengaluru on Thursday evening. According to party leaders, the nine MLAs along with Odisha Bhakta Congress president Sharan Das landed at Kempegowda International Airport. They have been accommodated at Wonderla Resort in Ramanagara district and are expected to return to Bhubaneswar on Sunday evening, a day before polls on Monday.
Among those who went to Bengaluru were Ashok Kumar Das, Sagar Charan Das, Prafulla Chandra Pradhan, Manju Khela, Pabitra Sunta, Neelamadhav Hekaka, Kadraka Appala Swamy, CS Razin Ekka and Satyajit Gomanjo.
“I am happy to meet the Congress members from Odisha in Bengaluru along with Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Chairman Shri Bhakta Sharan Das and interact with them. Their unity and determination show that no attempt can weaken the resolve of Congress leaders to stand together and protect democratic values,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said in a post on X.
It is not clear why only nine of the 14 were sent. The five who are still in Odisha are Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam, senior MLA Tara Prasad Bahinpati, Cuttack Parapati Sofia Firdaus and Ramesh Chandra Jena.
Firdaus told reporters that she heard about the transfer of some paralegals through the media.
“I learned this morning through news reports that some MLAs have traveled out of the state. I don’t have any confirmed information, so I can’t say anything else at this stage. The party has issued an order asking all MLAs to stay in Bhubaneswar, but in the meantime some of them have been transferred out of the state,” she said, adding that she has already decided who she will vote for in the Rajya Sabha elections.
BJD chief and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik has summoned all 48 party members to attend three consecutive mandatory evening sessions at his residence in Bhubaneswar, terming attendance at the sessions as “non-negotiable” and a “priority”.
BJP leaders said the meetings were aimed at briefing MPs on the preferential ballot system used in the Rajya Sabha elections, strengthening coordination within the legislative party and preventing any possibility of cross-voting.
The MLAs have been trained on the step-by-step procedures approved for the Rajya Sabha elections, while Saturday’s meeting will focus on voting rules, a party leader said. Sunday’s session will bring together the entire BJP legislative council on the eve of polls.
The BJD MLA who attended Friday’s meeting said Naveen Patnaik repeatedly told them about the consequences of cross-voting and the need to obey the party whip.
The BJP issued a three-line whip to all its 79 members directing them to appear in the Assembly on March 16, the polling day.
The BJP nominated state party chief Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujit Kumar and extended support to former Union minister Dilip Rai.
The opposition BJD, with 48 MLAs after the suspension of two legislators, was guaranteed one seat but fielded two candidates: veteran leader Santhropet Misra and prominent urologist Dr Dateshwar Hota, the latter positioned as a “joint candidate” jointly backed by the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) to contest the fourth seat.
This has created suspense for the fourth seat between Rai and Dr. Hota, a seat that neither party can secure without solid unity, and perhaps defections from the opposing camp.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which polled around 82 votes, including 79 from MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs, is comfortably positioned to win two seats, but its bid for a third seat through former Union minister and hotelier Dilip Rai will require additional support or a combined vote from the opposition ranks.
On the other hand, the BJD-Congress-CPI(M) union could secure the fourth seat for Dr Hota if it holds together. Any major defection or adverse vote could change the outcome.
