Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Sunday claimed that two persons have been arrested for trying to bribe Odisha Congress MLAs. He added that both accused were staying at a resort as part of the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’.
He alleged that the ruling party in Odisha was planning ‘Operation Lotus’ and had offered Rs 5 crore to each Odisha MLAs, who were flown in the state just before March 16 Rajya Sabha polls.
Senior Congress leader files police complaint
A senior Congress leader had earlier filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police, claiming that a few persons were trying to to bribe party MLAs. Eight Congress MLAs are staying at the resort currently. They were earlier taken to Bengaluru amid apprehensions regarding horse trading during the Rajya Sabha elections.
“Four people have come. One local person named Suresh helped them; they contacted him (an MLA) online. In the morning they picked up our MLA. Our MLA told us that they offered Rs five crore for each vote. He (Congress MLA) said he is not for horse-trading,” Shivakumar told reporters as per news agency PTI.
He added, “The cheque and everything should be seized. A complaint will be filed at the police station. After that, whatever legal action is required will be taken,” he added. The Congress leader also claimed that those taken in custody have also claimed that they came for the same purpose.
Operation Lotus carried out by BJP: Congress
“They have admitted it and the process is on to trace others. This is the great Operation Lotus carried out by BJP friends in Karnataka,” the Deputy CM said further. Notably, the Congress uses the term Operation Lotus to claim about attempts to topple non-BJP governments in the states or Union Territories by the BJP whose party symbol is the lotus.