DK Shivakumar claims BJP tried to buy Odisha Congress MLAs

DK Shivakumar on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party attempted to poach Congress MLAs from Odisha who are currently staying at a resort near Bengaluru, claiming that some individuals involved had admitted they were executing the party’s alleged “Operation Lotus”.

₹5 Crore Offer Row: DK Shivakumar Says Two Accused Caught, Police Begin Probe

Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar—who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president—said four people from Odisha arrived at the resort with the help of a local resident named Suresh and booked a room there. He claimed that the group entered the premises where eight Congress MLAs are lodged and met one of the legislators in the morning, allegedly offering ₹5 crore per vote.

According to him, the visitors had brought two cheques from the BJP side as part of the offer, but the MLAs refused to accept them. Shivakumar added that two of the individuals managed to escape while the other two were caught, and the cheques they brought were seized. He further alleged that those apprehended admitted they had come with the same objective, prompting the filing of a police complaint. The police have started an investigation into the matter. Shivakumar also said the person who booked the hotel room online is reportedly from the Byatarayanapura area of Bengaluru.

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‘Operation Lotus’ Row: Complaint Filed Over Alleged MLA Bribe Bid

D. K. Shivakumar accused leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating “Operation Lotus” and said party leaders would reveal more details later. Meanwhile, Ashok Kumar Das, Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislative Party in Odisha, filed a complaint with the Bidadi police in Ramanagara district. In his complaint, Das alleged that four individuals attempted to bribe Congress MLAs from Odisha who are staying in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16. Das said concerns about possible attempts to influence or lure Congress legislators surfaced after the BJP government in Odisha fielded an additional candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls. To avoid any such situation, eight Congress MLAs from the state have been staying in Bengaluru since March 12.

According to the complaint, four unidentified men approached some of the MLAs on Sunday and allegedly offered them several crores of rupees each in exchange for cross-voting in favour of a specific candidate in the Rajya Sabha election. Das also alleged that when the MLAs rejected the proposal, the individuals threatened to kill them if they returned to Odisha and used abusive language against them. The complaint names Birendra Prasad, Suresh, Ajit Kumar Sahu, and Simachal Mohakud as the accused. Das has urged the police to take strict action under the law. Authorities will examine the complaint and continue investigating the allegations.

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