Date:27/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/27/stories/2008042755530600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TD leader’s murder: fear grips Palnadu

P. Samuel Jonathan

GUNTUR: With the brutal murder of former TDP sarpanch Narala Venkateswarulu at Dyda village in Gurajala mandal on Wednesday last, the gory spectre of faction violence has returned to haunt the faction-ridden Palnadu area. With the general elections just a year away, the police face a major challenge of tackling of the faction related violence.

The former TDP leader was hacked to death by his rivals, while he was returning from the fields.

The accused had used bombs and sickles to carry out the attack.

Police records reveal that 16 persons were murdered during the last four years, majority of them belonging to the Opposition TDP faction rivalries, which had remained dormant, thanks to stringent action taken by some of the senior police officials in the past, had returned to break the peace giving sleepless nights to the people and the police alike.

The killing of two leaders belonging to the Congress at Morjhampadu in Machavaram mandal in 2004 was the beginning of a series of political murders.

This was followed by the murder of two Telugu Desam leaders -- Mittagudapadu sarpanch Ramakoti Reddy and Venkata Reddy at Gottimukkala major in Gurajala in 2006.

In what seemed to be retaliation to the killings, two Congress leaders -- Koti Reddy and Bakki Reddy -- were killed in April 2007.