Odisha Rajya Sabha Election 2026: Congress MLAs Shifted to Bengaluru Resort Amid Poaching Fears

13 Mar 2026, 08:54 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

With the Rajya Sabha elections slated for March 16, 2026, the Odisha Congress isn’t taking any risks. They’ve shifted eight of their 14 MLAs, along with their families, to a luxury resort in Bengaluru—Wonderla, located just outside the city. It’s a classic case of “resort politics.” The purpose is to shield their legislators from any last-minute poaching or “horse-trading” attempts by political opponents. The group arrived late Thursday night, with security arrangements are kept tight.

Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, is overseeing operations in Bengaluru. He’s well-known for managing political maneuvers like this—it’s nothing new for him. Back in Odisha, Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das personally supervised the MLAs’ departure, ensuring everyone was aligned ahead of this crucial vote. Among the MLAs staying at the resort: C.S. Raazen Ekka, Mangu Khilla, Pabitra Saunta, Kadraka Appala Swamy, Prafulla Pradhan, Ashok Kumar Das, and Satyajeet Gomango. Altogether, the group from Odisha consists of 14 people—eight MLAs and six family members.

Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka Deputy CM said, “I have not called Odisha MLAs; they have come to Bengaluru. I will go and meet them after the session is over.”
“I don’t know why they have come. Our PCC president from that state (Odisha) called and asked that our MLAs come. I told him that it must be a party matter, so I will go and meet him myself.

The real tension is over Odisha’s four Rajya Sabha seats. The BJP and BJD have enough numbers to easily take three, but the fourth seat remains up for grabs. Now, BJD, Congress, and the CPI(M) have come together to support Dr. Datteshwar Hota, a non-partisan candidate. On the other side, the BJP is backing state party chief Manmohan Samal, Sujeet Kumar, and former Union Minister Dilip Ray—who is known for his ability to pull off surprise victories.

In the Odisha Assembly, the BJP holds 79 seats, BJD has 48, and Congress counts 14. Congress isn’t taking any chances—they’ve issued a strict three-line whip, instructing all their legislators to be present in Bhubaneswar for the vote. The MLAs in Bengaluru are set to return together by Sunday evening, just before polling begins on Monday. The strategy is straightforward: keep everyone together, prevent cross-voting, and give the BJD-Congress alliance a solid chance at blocking the BJP in this high-stakes numbers contest.