A 57-year-old BRS worker died after a clash between Congress and BRS supporters in Suryapet’s Lingampalli village.
Family blames Congress workers; police register case, deploy extra forces, probe underway.
KTR accuses Congress of “goonda politics” as three-phase panchayat polls begin Dec 11.
A BRS worker was killed in a clash between supporters of the ruling Congress and the opposition party in Suryapet district ahead of the commencement of polling for the first phase of gram panchayat elections, police said on Wednesday.
Reacting to the incident, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao alleged that the Congress was engaging in "politics of murder".
"It shows the bankruptcy of the ruling party that it is resorting to physical attacks as it is unable to face the elections democratically," he said.
The incident occurred in Lingampalli village on Tuesday after the election campaign concluded. An altercation took place between two groups escalated into a physical attack involving sticks and stones, in which the 57-year-old suffered a head injury, they said.
"He was initially admitted to a hospital in Suryapet and then shifted to another hospital in Hyderabad, but was declared brought dead in the wee hours of Wednesday," said a senior police official.
The deceased's daughter-in-law is running for office as a ward member.
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The deceased's family claimed in their police complaint that he was slain in the assault by Congress supporters.
The situation is reported to be peaceful in the village, and additional soldiers have been deployed.
Rama Rao declared in a statement that "BRS would not tolerate the atrocities of Congress goondas." He promised that the BRS leadership will support each employee and party leader, and offer support to the activists' families.
Rama Rao insisted that the attackers face severe consequences from the police.
An inquiry is underway after a case was filed at the Nuthankal police station.
The Telangana State Election Commission has already established a three-phase schedule for the state's gram panchayat elections, which are scheduled for December 11, 14, and 17.
