Rajya Sabha Elections 2026: Congress Moves Odisha MLAs To Karnataka Amid Cross-Voting Fears; Numbers Explained

Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16, the apprehension of cross-voting by its MLAs has alarmed Congress, prompting the party to shift 8 of its Odisha MLAs to Karnataka, as per a party leader. All 14 Congress MLAs were summoned to the capital, Bhubaneswar, on Thursday. Later, 8 of these MLAs, including the Chief Whip CS Raazen Ekka, were shifted to a resort situated on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

"Yes, eight of our MLAs have gone to Bengaluru so that they can be shielded from horse-trading attempts by the BJP. Our MLAs will remain united,” Congress Legislator party leader said. Another party leader said, "They are scheduled to return to Bhubaneswar on Monday and will go directly to the assembly to cast their votes in favour of Datteswar Hota."

The Congress leaders who have been moved to Karnataka from Odisha are Prafulla Pradhan, Mangu Khila, Ashok Das, Pavitra Saunta, Rajan Ekka and Kadraka Appala Swamy. "Four more MLAs are expected to arrive in Bengaluru by Saturday morning," a Congress leader in Karnataka said.

Six Congress MLAs are currently in the state to attend the ongoing budget session in Odisha.

On the other hand, as per a report by PTI, the opposition party BJD has mandated it for its MLAs to attend evening meetings at the residence of party leader Naveen Patnaik, every day from Friday to Sunday.

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Odisha Rajya Sabha Election

Five candidates are in fray for the four Rajya Sabha seats in the state. As per the number calculation in the 147-member Assembly, opposition BJD is sure to get one seat, while ruling BJP is likely to get two Rajya Sabha seats from the state. Congress is struggling to secure one seat, as none of the parties have 30-preference votes for the remaining seat.

BJP has 79 MLAs in the Odisha assembly. With 3 independent votes, BJP’s first preference votes stand at 82, only 8 short of the number required to secure three Rajya Sabha seats. Therefore, Congress has bolstered efforts to prevent its MLAs from voting in the BJP’s favour.

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The main opposition party, BJD, has 48 MLAs. It has 18 extra first preference votes, but it will need 12 extra votes to elect the second MP from the state. Congress has a total of 14 MLAs, while CPI(M) has one.