Controversy Erupts in Odisha Rajya Sabha Elections Amid Allegations of Bribery
Election Results and Cross-Voting
On Monday, it was reported that at least eight MLAs from the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) cast their votes in favor of independent candidate Dilip Ray, who was backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha.
Four Rajya Sabha positions from Odisha were set to become vacant on April 2, prompting elections that took place on Monday. Voting concluded at 6 PM.
During the election process, BJD's deputy chief whip, Pratap Keshari Deb, confirmed that eight party MLAs had cross-voted for Ray, who ultimately secured a seat.
Additionally, Bhakta Charan Das, the head of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, stated that three Congress MLAs—Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gomango, and Sofia Firdous—also voted in favor of the ruling BJP.
Das indicated that disciplinary actions would be taken against those members who violated party loyalty.
Ray expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, and state BJP president Manmohan Samal for their unwavering support, acknowledging that his success was aided by individuals from both BJD and Congress.
Earlier, BJD leader Naveen Patnaik accused the BJP of engaging in “horse-trading,” claiming that many who voted for the BJP had criminal backgrounds.
In total, elections were held for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across ten states, with 26 candidates already declared winners without opposition. Voting was conducted for the remaining 11 seats, which included five from Bihar, four from Odisha, and two from Haryana.
Alongside Ray, two other BJP-supported candidates, Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, also emerged victorious in Odisha, while BJD candidate Santrupta Mishra won the fourth seat.
Bribery Allegations Surface
On the eve of the elections, two individuals were arrested in Karnataka for allegedly attempting to bribe Congress MLAs from Odisha.
Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar accused the BJP of trying to sway legislators as part of an operation dubbed “Operation Lotus,” which allegedly involved offering Rs 5 crore to MLAs to cross-vote for a BJP candidate.
This operation refers to the BJP's purported strategy to induce defections and entice legislators from opposition parties through financial incentives.
The situation escalated after eight Congress MLAs from Odisha were relocated to a resort near Bengaluru due to fears of potential cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Shivakumar noted that two of the four individuals involved in the bribery attempt were apprehended at the resort.
In response to the situation, both the BJD and Congress issued show-cause notices to three MLAs for allegedly breaching party directives ahead of the elections.