Ongole: Two followers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party MLC Karanam Balarm were brutally murdered by unknown miscreants and theree were injured, one of them seriously, in an attack which took place at Vemavarm village of Ballikurava Mandal in Prakasam district last night.
Police said that five followers of MLC K Balaram went to K Raju Palem village to attend a marriage. While they were returning on three bikes last night, they were waylaid and attacked with lethal weapons, killing Yeginati Rama Koteswara Rao (50) and Gorantla Anjaiah (60) on the spot.
The injured were rushed to the government hospital in Chilakuluripet, where the condition of Gorantla Venkata Rao is said to be very serious. Knowing the incident, MLC Karanam Balaram, his son K Venkatesh rushed to the hospital in Chilakaluripet and enquired the condition of the injured.
Mr.Venkatesh alleged that MLA Gottipati Ravikumar’s followers killed his followers. Ravikumar was elected on YSRCP ticket but joined the ruling TDP later. The faction feud has been there between the families of Karanam Balaram and Gottipati Ravi Kumar for three decades. Following the incident, tense situation prevailed in the village and Section 144 of CrPC was clamped. IG Sanjay, SP C M Thrivikram Varma and other top police officials visited the village.
Taking the incident seriously, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed the police officials to take tough action to curb faction related violence. Meanwhile, Gottipati Ravikumar talking to media denied reports that his followers killed Balaram’s followers. He said that he was against the faction politics and he will discuss the issue with the Chief Minister.
—UNI