Bengaluru, March 13 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar alleged on Friday that the BJP is pressuring Congress MLAs from Odisha and offering them lucrative incentives to cross-vote in favor of its Rajya Sabha candidate, amid fears of "Operation Lotus".
Shivakumar, who is the head of the Congress unit in Karnataka, told reporters that the saffron party may orchestrate "Operation Lotus," which is why Congress MLAs from BJP-ruled Odisha have been flown to Bengaluru.
"There is a fear that they (BJP) may carry out Operation Lotus. They (BJP) are putting a lot of pressure on our people and offering them big inducements. So there is a lot of pressure on everyone. They want to win the Rajya Sabha seat somehow," Shivakumar claimed, after meeting the Odisha opposition MLAs who are staying here.
"Operation Lotus" is a term used by its rivals to claim about the BJP's alleged backdoor attempts to get support of the MLAs from the opposite camp to either form a government or to win a seat in the Rajya Sabha election.
According to party sources, around eight MLAs from the party's Odisha unit were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and have been accommodated at a resort on the outskirts of the city.
Six more MLAs, along with their Congress Odisha president, will be reaching Bengaluru in the night.
The move, party insiders said, is aimed at ensuring unity among the legislators in the run-up to the March 16 biennial election.
Sources added that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure after the BJP fielded a second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, triggering intense political maneuvering in the state.
Party insiders said Shivakumar oversaw the logistical arrangements for their stay in the city.
Congress sources said the MLAs are expected to remain here until Monday morning before returning to Bhubaneswar to participate in the voting for the Rajya Sabha election.
Shivakumar said Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have fielded Datteshwar Hota for the Rajya Sabha seat. The CPI (M) is also backing the BJD-Congress candidate. The ruling BJP too has fielded its candidate.
"This (victory) is an effort that will give great strength to the INDIA alliance. What they (BJP) usually do, they are doing; and we too will do what we have to do," the deputy CM said.
Earlier speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said though he had not brought the Congress MLAs from Odisha to Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in that state, he will follow the party's directives.
"Look, whatever the party asks us to do, we must do. These things (cross voting in favor of BJP candidate) are happening in every state across the country; it's nothing new. Since they (Odisha MLAs) have come, I will meet them. They asked me for time, but I told them not to come here (Vidhana Soudha) because the Assembly session is going on. I said I would come after finishing the Assembly work," he said.
There were concerns about possible cross-voting and attempts to influence MLAs. As a safeguard, the leadership decided to move them out of the state until the voting, a Congress functionary said.
The Congress currently has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and requires additional support to ensure the success of its Rajya Sabha nominee.
Sources said the party leadership feared possible political bargaining and inducements involving legislators from different parties ahead of the poll.
Hota, according to Congress, is a famous urologist and former Director of Odisha Medical University, who has been fielded by the national party and the BJD for Rajya Sabha from Odisha.
While the number of votes needed to win is 30, the BJD and Congress have 32.
Shivakumar is known to be a trouble-shooter for the Congress and had brought Gujarat MLAs to Karnataka in 2017 during a similar situation. He subsequently ensured the win of Congress senior leader, the late leader Ahmed Patel in the RS poll that year.