A prominent Telugu Desam Party leader, Chalasani Venkateswara Rao alias Pandu (54) was found murdered in his flat at Madhuranagar in the city on Monday morning.
The city police have formed four teams to investigate the case including possible land dispute involving one of his associates. While one police team has been dispatched to Vijayawada, the home town of Pandu, another was rushed to port city of Visakhpatnam,where he had substantial business interests.
The slain leader had unsuccessfully contested elections to the assembly from Krishna district three times. In 2009, he narrowly lost to Animal Husbandry Minister, K. Parthasarathy.
The apartment watchman, Koteswara Rao told police that he had seen Chalasani Rao, his associate Mahender Reddy and another person, Ratnakar, at the leader’s flat the previous night. While Ratnakar left after 9 p.m., Reddy stayed back in the flat and left early in the morning.
Police is searching for Reddy, who is missing. A search at his flat at Kukatpally drew blank.