Telugu Desam leader among eight killed in blast

Hyderabad: Eight people, including a leader of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and his brother, were killed when country-made bombs they were allegedly carrying in their car exploded in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district on Saturday.

Supporters of the TDP called it a pre-meditated attack by rivals.

The TDP leader, Kapatralla Venkatappa Naidu, and his brother, Shivshankar Naidu, were travelling in a four wheel drive in Bodannuru village, about 300km from Hyderabad, when a truck hit their vehicle.

Police said country-made bombs, which were allegedly kept in their vehicle, exploded killing eight people on the spot. Three others were injured and their condition is stated to be serious.

Among those killed were Naidu's two gunmen, a bank manager, driver and two supporters.

Planned attack

The driver and the cleaner of the truck reportedly fled the scene after the crash, which looked like an accident. Naidu's supporters, however, alleged that it was a pre-planned attack by rivals.

The incident led to tension in the area as Naidu's supporters came out on the streets, damaging buses and other public property. Naidu, a powerful factional leader in the region who has several criminal cases pending against him, had a long running feud with V. Padma, who enjoys the support of the ruling Congress party.

The two groups have been fighting for the last three decades for supremacy in the region, notorious for deadly factional fights.

Naidu, who escaped about a dozen attacks in the past, had served as the TDP member of the District Territorial Committee.

His rival Padma returned to Kapatralla village in 2005, about three decades after her family was forced to flee the village.