Bengaluru: In an ugly turn in the ongoing power game in Karnataka, a Congress MLA was injured in an alleged brawl with a colleague lawmaker at a resort even as the party issued notices to its four legislators who skipped a crucial CLP meeting amid BJP’s alleged poaching attempt.
Anand Singh was hospitalised after he and J.N. Ganesh, both from Ballari district, had a heated argument and came to blows late last night at the resort where the party MLAs are herded together, Congress sources said Sunday.
In its notices to four MLAs on Sunday, the party sought to know why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law for not attending the Friday’s Congress Legislature Party Meeting that was a show of strength against BJP’s alleged bid to dislodge the ruling coalition.
Singh has “a black eye and suffered blunt injuries,” according to sources at the private hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
He had also complained of uneasiness in the chest but was now in the ward and “fine”, they added.
Ganesh is among the disgruntled Congress MLAs who was reportedly in touch with other dissidents in the party and on the BJP’s radar in its alleged toppling game.
The two MLAs had the dinner together in his presence and everything was cordial but after he left the fight broke out, Yakshi told PTI. Bidadi police under whose jurisdiction the Eagleton resort is located, said they have not received any complaint so far.
A posse of policemen have been deployed in front of the hospital with no visitor being allowed. “We have not been allowed inside the hospital,” Raghunath, a Congress MLA, said.
In a dig at the Congress, BJP tweeted, “It’s unfortunate that @KPCCPresi-dent was unable to stop the fight in Eagleton resort. We hope Anand Singh is being treated & we pray for his speedy recovery. Unfortunately @dineshgrao can’t even blame BJP now, MLA’s were locked up under his watch at Eagleton. Whats ur excuse now?”
Senior minister D.K. Shivakumar however brushed aside reports that Singh had been assaulted and claimed all the Congress MLAs were united.
