AP: TDP leaders Kidari Sarveswara Rao, Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, Sep 23: TDP leaders Kidari Sarveswara Rao and Siveri Soma, present and former MLA from Araku respectively were shot dead by Naxals in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

The incident occurred near Thutangi village, about 125 km from coastal city of Visakhapatnam, when the deceased were reportedly returning after attending a party function. They were shot from point blank range. A large number of Naxals allegedly participated in the attack.

It is learnt that the naxals allegedly stopped the vehicle in which the politicians were travelling and shot them at point blank range.

Rao was elected from Araku, a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Tribes, on a YSRCP ticket in the 2014 elections, defeating Soma of the TDP. In 2016, Rao switched loyalties to the TDP.

Sarveswara Rao was reported to be on the Naxal hit-list, and the attacks may have been carried out as it came close on the heels of September 21, the formation day of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).