Maoists target prominent leader after gap of 14 years in Vizag Agency area

​Visakhapatnam: After the gap of 14 years, Maoists have gunned down a prominent leader in the agency area of Visakhapatnam by killing Araku MLA  Kidari Sarveswara Rao and his follower and former MLA Sivari Soma by Maoists in Dumbri mandal of Araku area in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday noon.

In recent years, the Maoists have suffered set back as scores of their cadre killed in the encounters or surrendered before the police in the agency area particularly in Andhra Orissa border. Most of the Moist cader left to other place as combing operations intensified by the special party police in recent years.

Earlier, Maoists killed M Venkata Raju, husband of former Tribal welfare minister M Manikumari in March 2004. Since then, there was no major incident of killing a prominent leader. Maoists have targeted and threatened local village and mandal level leaders in recent years.

But, Sunday’s incident was never expected and sent shock waves among the leaders and party functionaries of various political parties. As more than 30 Maoists mostly women boldly targeted the MLA and gunned down from the point blank range resulting in outrage of tribals living in Araku valley.