ANANTAPUR: The hot-bed of faction killings, Tadipatri in Anantapur district, is back in news after a brief lull. Two activists of rival Congress and TD parties were killed in separate incidents within few hours in faction rivalry in Tadipatri today.
In the first incident, a TDP agent Kakarla Rangaiah (50) was waylaid and hacked to death in Tadipatri town today morning. Rangaiah, hailing from Hussainapuram in Tadipatri rural, was having rivalry with his relative and the village sarpanch, Ranganatham.
According to police, both of them used to work for Congress earlier. During the previous elections, Rangaiah switched loyalties and joined the TDP and worked as the party agent which was objected by Ranganatham, who even resorted to physical attack on Rangaiah.
“Rangaiah was coming to Tadipatri town in an auto when assailants attacked the vehicle near Vijaya Lakshmi lodge and hacked him to death,’’ Anantapur district police said.
District Superintendent of Police M K Singh said the killing was a result of a land dispute.
TDP district president Hanumantharaya Chowdary, who paid a visit to Rangaiah’s family, alleged that Rangaiah’s killing was a political murder. He charged the Congress with resorting to political murders after winning the elections.
Based on a complaint by Rangaiah’s family members, police registered a case against Ranganatham, his associate Jayachandra Reddy and two others.
Within few hours of Rangaiah’s killing, Tadipatri town witnessed yet another faction killing in which a Congress activist was murdered by his rivals.
Police said the victim, Obul Reddy (50), was attacked while he was getting his agricultural field motor repaired at a mechanic shop at Ashoka Pillar in the town. Obul Reddy hails from Chalavemula village in Putturu mandal of Tadipatri.
According to police, Obul Reddy was having rivalry with Srinivas Reddy, who hails from the same village.
“Both used to be followers of late Suryapratap Reddy. Obul Reddy, however, switched loyalties to former minister J C Diwakar Reddy following which differences cropped up between them,’’ police said.
Police suspect Srinivas Reddy might have resorted to the killing.
Obul Reddy died while being treated at a hospital.
