Fresh Cong-BJP Row Over RS Poll Bribery Allegations Four men were arrested in Bengaluru on Sunday for allegedly attempting to bribe eight Congress legislators from Odisha with Rs 5 crore each to vote in favor of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls, scheduled for Monday. The arrests followed allegations made by Karnataka Congress president and deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who claimed the men tried to influence Odisha MLAs during a meeting at a hotel. Shivakumar told reporters, "Four men tried to influence our Odisha MLAs in a hotel by offering them Rs 5 crore each to cross-vote. Following an FIR, all four have been arrested." The BJP dismissed the claims, with spokesperson Anil Biswal stating, "Since Congress is staring at imminent defeat, they're making false claims." Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das, however, alleged that the arrested men were linked to the BJP. Eight of the 14 Congress legislators from Odisha were moved to a Bengaluru resort on Thursday to prevent them from being poached by rival parties. The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha are shaping up as a high-stakes contest. Five candidates are vying for four seats, with the BJP fielding state president Manmohan Samal and re-nominated MP Sujeet Kumar, while supporting independent candidate Dilip Ray for the third seat. The BJD has nominated Santrupt Misra, and the party is backing independent candidate Datteswar Hota, who is also supported by Congress and the CPM. With strong numbers in their favor, Samal and Kumar are expected to secure their seats, as is Misra of the BJD. The real competition, however, is for the fourth seat, where Hota and Ray are locked in a tight race, with fears of cross-voting and allegations of horse-trading complicating the outcome.#dk_shivakumar #anil_biswal #bhakta_charan_das #manmohan_samal #sujeet_kumar
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar Accuses BJP Of Offering Rs 5 Crore To Odisha Congress MLAs, Operation Lotus Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of attempting to bribe Odisha Congress legislators during a meeting at a resort near Bengaluru. According to Shivakumar, four individuals from Odisha had booked a room with the help of a local person named Suresh and approached eight Congress MLAs staying at the resort. The accused allegedly offered Rs 5 crore per vote to influence cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. Shivakumar claimed that two of the individuals fled the scene, while the other two were apprehended. The BJP is said to have provided cheques as part of the alleged bribe, but the MLAs refused to accept them. Shivakumar stated that the accused had admitted to their intentions, and a complaint has been filed with the police for further investigation. He also mentioned that the person who booked the hotel online is from the Byatarayanapura locality in Bengaluru. The MLAs reportedly rejected the offer, and the cheques were seized by authorities. Shivakumar emphasized that the BJP’s alleged "Operation Lotus" aimed to sway the Congress legislators, though the MLAs refused to engage with the proposal. Ashok Kumar Das, the Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislative Party in Odisha, filed a complaint with the Bidadi police station, alleging that four individuals attempted to bribe Congress MLAs ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. Das stated that the BJP’s decision to field an additional candidate for the polls had raised concerns about the safety of the legislators. The eight MLAs from Odisha had arrived in Bengaluru on March 12 to avoid potential threats.#bjp #dk_shivakumar #odisha_congress #operation_lotus #suresh
