Andhra Pradesh: Two politicians, including a current MLA, were allegedly shot dead by a group of Maoists in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam district on Sunday afternoon.
The incident took place at Lippitiputta village under Dambriguda mandal when Araku (ST) MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma went to take part in a ‘grama darsini’ (village visit) programme.
“Around 20 members from CPI Maoist attacked them at around 12 pm, snatched the weapons from the PSOs, & later fired at them. Both died on the spot. The reason behind attack yet to be ascertained,” Visakhapatnam DIG Srikanth said.
Around 20 members from CPI Maoist attacked them at around 12 pm, snatched the weapons from the PSOs, & later fired at them. Both died on the spot. Reason behind attack yet to be ascertained: Visakhapatnam DIG Srikanth on TDP leaders Kidari Sarveswara Rao & Siveri Soma shot dead pic.twitter.com/itJVoSHi8A
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2018
“We’re trying to ascertain facts from the PSOs. As per preliminary information, 20 Maoists were there with weapons & there may be some more in the neighbouring vicinity & they came along with the villagers,” DIG Srikanth added.
Sarveswara Rao was elected from Araku, a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, as the YSR Congress candidate in the 2014 elections, defeating Siveri Soma of the TDP. In 2016, Rao defected to the TDP.