Congress MLAs fly to Bengaluru ahead of June 18 Rajya Sabha vote in MP
Synopsis
With the BJP fielding a surprise third Rajya Sabha candidate in Madhya Pradesh, Congress has airlifted 45-50 MLAs to BJP-rival Karnataka to prevent cross-voting. The margin is razor-thin — four surplus votes — and even one defection could cost Congress its only seat in the June 18 poll.
Key Takeaways
45 to 50 Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh flew to Bengaluru on 9 June ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha election .
Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan has just a 4-vote surplus with 62 MLAs ; any cross-voting could cost the party its seat.
The BJP , with 165 MLAs , fielded a third candidate Mahesh Kevat and is reportedly short of 9 to 10 votes for a clean sweep.
A flight delay of several hours at Raja Bhoj Airport sparked a Congress allegation of deliberate obstruction; the airport director cited technical and procedural reasons.
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar defended the move, warning against the BJP's 'politics of poaching and subversion.' Voting and counting are set for June 18 ; a second batch of MLAs was scheduled to depart Tuesday evening .
Congress legislators from Madhya Pradesh boarded a chartered flight from Bhopal's Raja Bhoj Airport on Tuesday, 9 June, bound for Bengaluru, as the party moved swiftly to consolidate its flock ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha election. Between 45 and 50 MLAs, some accompanied by family members, made the trip — a pre-emptive floor-management move triggered by the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) decision to field a third candidate in the state.
The Flight Delay and the Allegations
The operation was not without turbulence. The chartered Star Air flight was held up for several hours, prompting Congress leaders to allege deliberate obstruction. Raja Bhoj Airport Director Ramji Awasthi pushed back, attributing the hold-up to technical and procedural requirements.
'The Star Air flight arrived from Bengaluru. It is not a regular flight to Bhopal Airport. We were informed about it only this afternoon. Had there been prior notice, we could have made preparations,' Awasthi said. He added that clearance was issued only after a comprehensive multi-stage flight inspection. A second batch of MLAs was scheduled to depart later on Tuesday evening.
The Assembly Arithmetic Driving the Move
The political calculus behind the relocation is stark. In Madhya Pradesh's 230-member Assembly, a candidate requires 58 first-preference votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat. The BJP holds 165 MLAs — enough to comfortably secure two seats, needing 116 votes and leaving a surplus of 49. By fielding a third candidate, Mahesh Kevat, the party is short of nine to ten votes for a clean sweep and must look beyond its own ranks.
Congress, with 62 MLAs, has just enough to elect its candidate, former MP Meenakshi Natarajan, with a slim surplus of four votes. Even marginal cross-voting could cost the party its seat and hand the BJP all three. Natarajan and Kevat filed their nominations on Monday. The BJP has also nominated Rajneesh Agarwal and Tarun Chugh for the remaining seats.
Congress Defends the Bengaluru Gambit
The MLAs assembled at the residence of Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar on Tuesday morning before heading to the airport. Singhar defended the decision to relocate the legislators to Karnataka, where Congress is in power, framing it as a safeguard against poaching.
'The BJP should focus on keeping its own MLAs united. We have full faith in all 62 legislators, but we must remain vigilant against the BJP's politics of poaching and subversion,' Singhar said.
What Happens Next
With voting and counting scheduled for June 18, both parties are now locked in an intense floor-management battle. This is not the first time an Indian party has relocated legislators to a friendly state ahead of a sensitive vote — the tactic has been deployed repeatedly across states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Karnataka itself in recent years. For Congress, keeping its bloc intact in Bengaluru until polling day has become essential to avoid a fresh political setback in a state it lost in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Point of View
Meanwhile, is fighting defensively in a state it already lost in 2023, and a Rajya Sabha defeat would deepen that wound. The real story here is not the flight delay — it is how thin the margins of Indian parliamentary democracy have become when four votes can decide a Senate seat in a 230-member House.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh flying to Bengaluru?
Congress has moved 45 to 50 of its Madhya Pradesh MLAs to Bengaluru to prevent cross-voting ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha election. The party holds 62 MLAs — just enough to elect its candidate Meenakshi Natarajan — and fears the BJP may attempt to poach votes given the tight arithmetic.
Why did the BJP field a third Rajya Sabha candidate in Madhya Pradesh?
The BJP, with 165 MLAs, can comfortably win two of the three Rajya Sabha seats up for election. By nominating a third candidate, Mahesh Kevat, the party is betting on securing additional votes from outside its bloc, putting pressure on Congress to guard its own legislators.
What caused the flight delay at Raja Bhoj Airport?
Airport Director Ramji Awasthi said the Star Air chartered flight was delayed due to technical and procedural requirements, noting that the airport received notice of the non-regular flight only that afternoon. Congress leaders alleged the delay was intentional; the airport authority denied this.
Who are the Rajya Sabha candidates in the Madhya Pradesh election?
Congress has fielded former MP Meenakshi Natarajan. The BJP has nominated Rajneesh Agarwal, Tarun Chugh, and Mahesh Kevat for the three available seats. Natarajan and Kevat filed their nominations on Monday.
What happens if Congress MLAs cross-vote on June 18?
Congress holds 62 MLAs against the 58 first-preference votes needed to win one seat, leaving a surplus of just four. Even limited cross-voting could drop Natarajan below the winning threshold, potentially handing the BJP all three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh.
