Did Not Invite Odisha MLAs, Will Do What Party Says: Shivakumar On RS Cross-Voting Fears

Bengaluru: Responding to questions from the media over Odisha Congress MLAs having been shifted to a Bengaluru resort, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said that he had not invited them, and they themselves came.

“I have not invited the Odisha MLAs; they themselves have come to Bengaluru,” said Shivakumar while responding to questions from the media at his Bengaluru residence on Friday.

The Odisha MLAs are reportedly staying at a resort in Ramanagara.

“I do not know the exact reason why they have come. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president of that state called me and informed me that their MLAs would be coming. It may be related to party matters, so I told them that I would meet them. They have expressed interest in visiting Mysuru. When they said they were coming, I told them they were welcome. They asked for a comfortable place to stay, so we made arrangements for them,” he said.

When asked whether the party had given him the responsibility of ensuring that there is no cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections, Shivakumar said, “We must do what the party asks. This happens in all states; it is nothing new. They sought time to meet me. I told them that the Assembly session is underway and asked them not to come here. I said I would finish the session and then come to meet them.”

When asked whether the move was an attempt to prevent ‘Operation Lotus’, he replied, “I do not know about that. They said Bengaluru is safe and that they wanted to come here and spend some time. I have not met them yet. They are our colleagues, and when they said they would come, and their PCC president informed me about it, I told them they were welcome. It is our duty to look after them. I have been doing such work since the time of Vilasrao Deshmukh’s government. I have done this many times, including during Ahmed Patel’s Rajya Sabha election and in Madhya Pradesh.”

When asked whether he often takes responsibility during times of trouble for the party but his own issues remain unresolved, Shivakumar said, “Time will decide.”

Asked whether the party had formally assigned him responsibility in this matter, he said, “No such responsibility has been given. Our PCC president simply informed me that their MLAs were coming, and I told them that they are our guests and are welcome.”

Responding to a question about growing pressure for a Cabinet reshuffle, he said, “Everyone has the desire to become a minister. I, too, became a minister for the first time once. Now we are older and have become senior citizens. Others also have such aspirations.”

On Ramanagara MLA Iqbal Hussain’s statement expressing dissatisfaction with the State Budget, Shivakumar said, “He had requested a district court, and we have provided that. We have given sufficient work for the constituency and will announce it.”

Amid fears of cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Odisha, the Congress party has shifted its MLAs to Bengaluru in a move widely seen as part of “resort politics” to keep its legislators together.

Congress sources confirmed on Friday that the legislators were brought to Bengaluru under the supervision of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar. The MLAs and party leaders arrived in the city from Bhubaneswar on Thursday night by an IndiGo flight.

They reached the Kempegowda International Airport at around 11 p.m. on Thursday, where they were received by close aides of Shivakumar. From the airport, the legislators were escorted under police security directly to a resort in Bidadi in the Ramanagara district.

The MLAs have been accommodated at the Wonderla Resort, where special arrangements have been made for their stay.

According to sources, the group includes MLAs Mangu Khila, Appala Swamy, Rajan Ekka and Ashok Kumar. The party’s Odisha chief and former MP Bhakta Charan Das and spokesperson Durga Prasad Panda are also part of the delegation. In total, around 14 Congress leaders from Odisha have reportedly arrived in Bengaluru.

Congress sources said the decision to move the MLAs out of Odisha was taken amid concerns over possible cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha election.

(IANS)