Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and former Karnakata chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda was rushed to a hospital on Sunday afternoon after he collapsed near a hotel in Chitradurga where he stopped for lunch after attending a BJP function in Shivamogga.

“Gowda was brought to Aster CMI hospital at 4.45 pm today. His condition is stable and he will be kept under observation for the next 24 hours,” a spokesperson from Aster CMI hospital in Bengaluru said.

According to sources close to the former CM, the 67-year-old fainted after his sugar levels dropped. “The minister suffered hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as he was late for lunch by an hour because of a BJP function that he attended in Shivamogga. A diabetic patient, he fell unconscious next to his car around 1.45 pm. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Chitradurga. He was on his way back to Bengaluru where he stopped for lunch en route,” a source told reporters.

The event in Shivamogga was attended by top leaders, including Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, BJP Karnataka president Nalinkumar Kateel, Shivamogga Lok Sabha MP BY Raghavendra and Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa, among others.

Several BJP leaders rushed to visit the Union minister at the hospital. A member of the minister’s team later said, “He is out of danger now, with his sugar levels back to normal. However, he will be admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru by 5 pm, where he will be kept under observation. The minister is now being brought to the capital city from Chitradurga in an ambulance.”

(With inputs from agencies)