Karnataka Congress MLA lands in hospital after 'friendly fight' with colleagues, party says 'all well'

BENGALURU: In an ugly twist to the ongoing political drama in Karnataka, a Congress MLA was hospitalised after being allegedly injured during a brawl with other party lawmakers, who are reportedly under the BJP radar, at a resort on the city outskirts.

Karnataka Congress MLA Anand Singh had to be hospitalised after an alleged brawl with other party legislators while staying at a resort in Bengaluru, said reports.

Downplaying the issue, the Congress said that all was well within the party.

"Anand Singh was taken to hospital after there was a friendly fight between few MLAs at the resort. Everything is all right and Anand is taking rest at the hospital," state's Food and Civil Supplies Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan told reporters.

Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed on reports of fight between state Congress MLAs: All three are friends. They were having a discussion, it happens between friends. It was a minor fight between friends. Nobody has got any stitches; there hasn't been any blood loss. pic.twitter.com/r6ui01qHyV

— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2019

Singh is a legislator from Vijayanagara Assembly segment in Ballari district. He was shifted to a private hospital in the city centre.

The party did not share the details of the attack on Singh.

Interestingly, Karnataka Congress party leaders, including DK Shivakumar, denied any such attack on Singh.

Reacting to the incident, the state unit BJP alleged that Congress MLAs "fear for life" under Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy government.

"Congress MLAs fear for life under HDK government. Siddaramaiah preaches everyone about Constitutional values, we demand (Congress state unit president) Dinesh Gundu Rao and Siddaramaiah to immediately suspend their party MLA responsible for the attack on Anand Singh," the party tweeted.

The southern state`s Congress legislators have been residing at a private resort on the city outskirts since Friday night, after a party meeting was chaired by Siddaramaiah at the state legislature building Vidhana Soudha, as a show of legislators` strength.

The party`s senior leaders and MLAs at the resort have been holding discussions over the alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party and preparing for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in April-May, the state Congress said.

(With Agency inputs)