Blast at AP minister’s house
Four supporters killed

VIJAYAWADA, Aug 29 (UNI) — Four supporters of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister and Telugu Desam Party leader Kodela Sivaprasada Rao were killed in a bomb explosion at his house in faction-ridden Narsarao Pet in Guntur district, late last night.

The police said while one person died on the spot, two others succumbed to injuries at the government hospital and another at the hi-tech hospital in Guntur. Two rooms on the second floor of the house collapsed following the blast.

The police had to resort to a lathi charge to disperse supporters of Mr Kasu Venkatakrishna Reddy, the Congress nominee for the assembly seat, who staged a dharna in Narsarao Pet, demanding action against the minister for allegedly storing bombs for use during the elections. Supporters of Anna Telugu Desam Party candidate K. Venkateswara Rao also blocked traffic.

The police said the situation in the area was tense, but under control with the posting of additional forces.

Dr Rao, who is seeking re-election to the assembly, was away on the poll campaign when the blast occurred.

The Director-General of Police has ordered a probe by the CID into the incident, which came close on the heels of the visit of Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh to Guntur to review the security arrangements for the poll.

Former Chief Minister N. Janardhan Reddy and TDP general secretary Lal Jan Basha were the main contestants, seeking election to the Lok Sabha from the constituency.

The police recently unearthed 1,400 country bombs from the constituency, where bomb manufacturing is a way of life, particularly in the Palanadu region comprising Narsarao Pet, Venugonda and Macherla. In the last Lok Sabha poll, bombs were hurled by rival groups at polling booths in Piduguralla and Dondapadu despite tight security, leading to the imposition of a curfew. Even during the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, rival groups had clashed in this hypersensitive constituency.

HYDERABAD: The Congress on Sunday demanded the dismissal and arrest of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Minister Kodela Sivaprasad Rao in the wake of the bomb explosion in his residence. Congress chief election coordinator T. Purushotham Rao told newsmen here that the incident had exposed the ruling Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) sinister designs to terrorise the voters and rig the elections.

He said a Congress delegation would meet Governor C. Rangarajan and write to the Election Commission to press its demand.

Mr Rao claimed that the area around the minister’s residence had been cordoned off and even the Press was denied entry. It was clear that the government was trying to cover up the incident. The Congress would launch an agitation, if the government failed to take action, he warned.