Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16, 2026, a leader from the Odisha Congress has accused individuals connected to the ruling BJP of trying to buy off party legislators. The claims were made by Ashok Kumar Das, the deputy leader of the Congress legislative party in Odisha, who has filed a complaint with the police in Bengaluru. He alleges that following the BJP's decision to field additional candidates in the elections, there were fears within the Congress party regarding the potential poaching of its MLAs. To safeguard against this, eight Congress MLAs have been staying in a hotel near Wonderla in Bengaluru since March 12 to avoid any undue influence or attempts at bribery.

On March 15, Das reported that four unknown individuals arrived at the hotel where the Congress MLAs were staying, carrying a blank cheque. He claims that these individuals offered huge sums of money with the intention of inducing the MLAs to cross-vote in favor of BJP candidates during the elections. This attempt at bribery highlights the intense political maneuvering happening in Odisha as the elections approach, raising questions about electoral integrity and the lengths to which parties may go to secure votes.

Furthermore, Das alleged that when the MLAs refused the bribes, the accused resorted to intimidation, threatening the legislators to accept their proposals. This incident underscores the volatile nature of electoral politics in India and the potential challenges to democratic processes when corruption and threats are employed to alter election outcomes. The Congress party's claims will likely provoke a political uproar and necessitate a thorough investigation into these serious allegations.