TDP MLA, ex-legislator shot dead by Maoists in Andhra''s Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, September 23

Maoists on Sunday shot dead a ruling TDP MLA and a former party leader in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district, police said.

The incident occurred near Thutangi village, about 125 km from coastal city of Visakhapatnam.

K Sarveswara Rao, belonging to Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was representing Araku constituency in the Andhra Pradesh state Assembly.

The Maoists attacked Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma when they were attending a programme in Araku.

They were shot from point-blank range. A large number of Maoists allegedly participated in the attack.

A red alert has been sounded in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh after the killings. Crowds are out to watch the immersion of Ganesh at most places, giving anxious moments to the police.

In a release, police said in view of killing of MLA K Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma, all the police wings are kept under high alert. The situation is being closely watched.

ADG (L&O) Harish Kumar Guptha has rushed to Visakhapatnam to monitor the situation, the police added.

Rao was elected from Araku, a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, on YSR Congress Party ticket in the 2014 elections, defeating Soma of the TDP.

In 2016, Rao switched loyalties to TDP. According to the police, both Rao and Soma had received threats from Maoists in the past. — IANS/TNS