Rajya Sabha polls: BJD issues whip as Congress MLAs move to Bengaluru

BJD President Naveen Patnaik issued a whip for MLAs ahead of Rajya Sabha polls. This comes as six Odisha Congress MLAs moved to a Bengaluru resort under DK Shivakumar's watch amid speculation of cross-voting in the upcoming elections.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, on Thursday, issued a three-line whip to all party MLAs, directing them to remain in attend party meetings in Bhubaneswar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Legislators have been asked to ensure their mandatory presence at Naveen Nivas for the presentation and training programme on March 13 and 14, scheduled from 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM. Additionally, all BJD legislators must attend a legislative party meeting at Naveen Nivas on March 15. This meeting serves as a preparation ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on Monday.

Congress MLAs move to Bengaluru amid cross-voting fears

Earlier, six Odisha Congress MLAs, including chief whip CS Raazen Ekka, reached Bengaluru on Thursday night. The Congress MLAs are reportedly staying in a private resort in South Bengaluru district, under the watch of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, amid the speculations of cross-voting in the upcoming polls.

The six Congress MLAs, including Ashok Kumar Das, Prafulla Chandra Pradhan, Pabitra Saunta, Kadraka Appala Swamy, CS Raazen Ekka and Satyajeet Gomango, are staying in the resort with their families. A total of 14 people arrived from Odisha.

Parties Announce Candidates and Support

While Congress has not announced a candidate in Odisha, the party, along with Biju Janata Dal and Communist Party of India (Marxist), has decided to support a joint candidate, Datteshwar Hota. Four Upper House seats will fall vacant in April and undergo polling in Odisha.Earlier on March 5, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das said the decision to back Datteshwar Hota was taken considering his work and his non-partisan background.

"Congress, BJD and CPI(M) have all decided to support the joint candidate Datteshwar Hota. Considering his work, we decided that he is a good person. He doesn't belong to any party, so all the like-minded parties can support him," Das said.

He also said that Naveen Patnaik was clear about the decision and called it a significant step in the current political situation of Odisha."Naveen Patnaik was very clear on this matter. Given Odisha's situation, he has taken a revolutionary step," he added.

Meanwhile, the BJD has announced Santrupt Misra as its candidate, and the BJP has nominated Odisha party chief Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Biennial Rajya Sabha Elections

The polling for the biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm.

The term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. (ANI)

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