Hyderabad:

An open debate conducted by a Telugu news channel in connection with the November 30 Telangana Legislative Assembly election turned ugly here on Wednesday with a scuffle breaking out between a BRS MLA and his BJP rival.

However, police and others intervened and separated the two, the video showed.

State BJP president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy alleged the BRS MLA from Quthbullapur in Hyderabad K P Vivekanand had attacked the BJP candidate from the constituency Kuna Srisailam Goud as he was unable to answer the question posed by the latter.

Mr Vivekanand attacking Mr Goud by holding the latter’s throat is an act of timidity, Mr Reddy said in a statement.

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BJP MLA candidate from Quthuballapur @KunaSrisailam attacked by BRS sitting MLA.

It’s shocking when a contesting opposition candidate is attacked and scuffled in open public, imagine if BRS returns to power even common… pic.twitter.com/h4kj3m9ydw

— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) October 25, 2023

He said police should book a case against the BRS MLA failing which the BJP would take up a legal battle.

When contacted, BRS spokesperson Sravan Dasoju alleged Goud made a reference to the BRS MLA’s father though both were supposed to maintain decency and decorum during the debate While Vivekanand is an incumbent MLA, Srisailam Goud was a legislator earlier, he said.

“Both of them are supposed to have maintained decency, decorum,” and be restrained.

Mr Goud should not have driven the debate ‘attacking’ Vivekanand’s parents in the first place and the ruling party MLA should not have attacked his rival. “Both could have been sensible and realised the whole world is watching them,” Mr Dasoju said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)