The debate was organised by the Bangalore Political Action Committee headed by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon.
It started sedately enough - although the slogan chanting by party workers should have given everyone a clue. But a discussion organised between candidates of Bangalore South soon descended into chaos.
At first it was objections to candidates who spoke in English instead of Kannada. Ananth Kumar, the BJP candidate spoke first - in Kannada - but when it was Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani's turn to speak. He started in English. He was shouted down and forced to speak in Kannada.
Then it was a verbal and almost physical clash between BJP and Congress workers. This - in response to attempts to steer Ananth Kumar away from a speech against the 10 years of UPA rule - to a direct answer to the question he had been asked by moderator Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon. Congress workers approached the stage to shout him down.
Mr Nilekani said Ananth Kumar should have stuck to the question he was asked. "It's extremely disappointing that we have an MP who has no interest in talking about his agenda...When Ananth Kumar was asked about his agenda for Bengaluru, rather than answering the question he began attacking the central government," said Mr Nilekani.
Ananth Kumar told NDTV he had been talking about important issues and blamed Congress workers for the disruption. "I was raising the very critical issues that are facing the country, the economic crisis, the security crisis and the crisis of governance...I am really surprised why the Congress candidates' supporters came and disrupted me...because it is a democratic discussion...we were listening to them very patiently," said Mr Kumar.
The optimistic organisers of this debate was the group B.PAC - the Bangalore Political Action Committee headed by Kiran Shaw.
Dr Shaw told NDTV she was not discouraged but would make changes to the format of future debates. "It is a very sad reflection on how the whole political narrative in our country is not about a mature and serious discussion on key issues...We will have to change the format. We cannot allow this kind of mayhem," she said.
Voters who had come in to listen to their candidates had to return disappointed. One man said, "This is not the Bangalore we know...I am very shocked."
"We have lost a wonderful opportunity to express our views and ask something to our candidates," said another voter.
It would look as if India is not quite ready for this kind of public political debate. Chalk it down to the passion that politics evokes in the country - but that is no consolation to those who came hoping to hear a serious discussion to help them decide who to vote for.