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
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its first list of candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections, with party president Nitin Nabin nominated from Bihar. This move reflects the party's strategic focus on key states to strengthen its parliamentary presence. In Bihar, Nitin Nabin's nomination underscores the state's significance in the BJP's electoral strategy. Meanwhile, in Odisha, the party has selected its Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Manmohan Samal, and existing Rajya Sabha member Sujit Kumar for the upcoming polls. The state has four vacant seats. In Assam, veteran leader Jogesh Mohan and MLA Terash Gavla are being groomed for national politics, with three seats up for grabs. Haryana's Sanjay Bhattacharya, known for his strong grassroots network, and Chhattisgarh's Lakshmi Verma have also been included in the list. The BJP's selection highlights its emphasis on balancing regional representation with experienced leaders. The party aims to consolidate its majority in the Rajya Sabha, leveraging its stronghold in states like Bihar, Odisha, and Assam. Other sections of the original text, such as unrelated news snippets or website metadata, have been excluded to focus solely on the core article content.#odisha #bharatiya_janata_party #bihar #nitin_nabin #manmohan_samal
