Indian politician shot dead in rural village by 40 Maoist rebels, police say

Maoists who have been fighting for land and job rights from Indian government for over 40 years carried out attack on member of Telugu Desam party

(AFP/Getty Images)

Police say Maoist insurgents have fatally shot a state lawmaker visiting a rural village in southern India.

Visakhapatanam district police superintendent Rahul Dev Sharma says at least 40 Maoist rebels carried out the attack on Kidari Sarveshwara Rao, an Andhra Pradesh state assembly member from the ruling Telugu Desam party.

The lawmaker was visiting interior tribal areas Sunday about 700 kilometres (435 miles) northeast of the state capital, Hyderabad. Former lawmaker Siveri Soma was also killed in the attack.

Police say no arrests have been made.

Andhra Pradesh's top elected official, N. Chandrababu Naidi, condemned the attack.

The Maoist rebels, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting the Indian government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers, the poor and indigenous communities.

Associated Press