Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on March 16, the Congress has relocated several of its legislators from Odisha and Haryana to other states to ensure party unity and prevent cross-voting. In Odisha, around eight Congress MLAs were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night. They have been accommodated at a resort on the outskirts of the city. Sources said an additional six MLAs, along with the state Congress president, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru later in the night.
Party insiders described the move as a precautionary measure after the BJP fielded a second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, which has led to intense political manoeuvring.
Currently, the Congress has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly. Party leaders fear that without extra measures, legislators could be approached for political bargaining, potentially threatening their candidate’s chances. Senior Congress leaders in Karnataka, including Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar, coordinated the logistics for the visiting MLAs.
Haryana lawmakers likely to stay in Himachal
Meanwhile, in Haryana, Congress MLAs also moved to a secret location ahead of polling for two Rajya Sabha seats. Sources indicated that they will stay in Himachal Pradesh, a state ruled by the party, and return just before voting. The Congress has 37 members in the Haryana Assembly, enough to support its candidate, but the risk of cross-voting remains a concern.
The legislators gathered at the residence of CLP leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda for a meeting before departing in two tempo travellers. They were accompanied by Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh and party general secretary BK Hariprasad. At least five MLAs, including Kuldeep Vats, did not join the move due to prior family commitments. Hooda will also remain in the state.
The Congress’s careful coordination in both Odisha and Haryana highlights its focus on keeping the party legislators together to secure the Rajya Sabha seats amid tight political competition.
