Mysuru: A brawl broke out between an influential Minister and a senior Congress leader at a private hotel in Mysuru on Friday night, setting tongues wagging throughout the political corridors.

The cause? A financial dispute that took an ugly turn in full public view. After a loud exchange, the altercation between the two leaders, both from a neighbouring district, became a hot topic in the city.

The Minister had reportedly promised the Congress leader a large sum of money for supporting their party’s candidate during the last Legislative Council elections. The Minister had paid a part of the money in advance.

Though the Congress candidate secured a victory in the Legislative Council elections, the Minister allegedly failed to honour the full financial commitment and began dodging the Congress leader’s calls. This move only stoked the simmering resentment.

On Friday night, at a private event hosted by a Mandya politician at a hotel in Mysuru, the two leaders came face to face. The two, old allies with a friendship spanning decades, initially sat down to talk. During their conversation, the Congress leader expressed frustration over the unfulfilled promise and the Minister’s avoidance, leading to heated arguments.

The Congress leader, unable to contain his frustration, raised his voice and accused the Minister of betrayal. Angered by the public confrontation and disrespect, the Minister allegedly struck the Congress leader. Retaliating, the Congress leader punched the Minister and landed a couple of blows that added to the spectacle.

Intensifying the melee, sources say the Minister’s supporters also joined in the attack and thrashed the Congress leader. Security personnel and other politicians intervened, calming the situation and escorting the Congress leader out of the hotel.

Despite the high drama and assault, no Police complaint has been filed and Congress leaders from the district have remained tight-lipped, adding to the intrigue.

Kumaraswamy makes it public

Meanwhile, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy didn’t waste the opportunity to stir the pot during the Channapatna by-election campaign. He pointed to this incident as proof of deeper, murkier dealings, claiming that the altercation was about more than just old debts — it was linked to the sharing of money collected from the officers after transferring them to plum posts.

 Kumaraswamy expressed shock at the spectacle of a Minister being publicly assaulted, remarking that it highlighted the pathetic state of governance in the State.