A Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politician was axed to death in Vijayawada early yesterday morning, police said after his car was ambushed by his attackers armed with "lethal weapons."

Business rivalry is suspected to be the motive behind the killing of Edupuganti Satyanarayana, 50, involved in the automobile finance business and who headed the media cell of the TDP in the state's second largest city.

He was also a member of the trust board administering the popular Kanakadurga temple and was returning from a badminton game when he was ambushed by two persons on a motorbike. Police officials said Satyanarayana was acquitted of the charge of murdering Congress legislator V.M. Ranga last year.

In other unrelated violence, Naxalites of the banned People's War Group (PWG) bombed the home of a TDP politician at Gummannapadu in Guntur district on the same day. About 40 militants went to the house of Vasudeva Reddy and after forcing the inmates out, blasted it.

In Warangal district, meanwhile, police killed a PWG commander at Ponuguntla village of the Raiguntla mandal in an alleged encounter.

The dead Naxalite was identified as the commander of the Chityal local guerrilla squad. Two carbines were recovered from the scene of the encounter the district police superintendent said adding two of the underground squad's commanders were arrested in May and June this year.

Despite the violence, Home Minister T. Devender Goud said his government's doors continued to be open for peace talks with the Naxalites.