ANANTAPUR: The gram panchayat election process in Anantapur district turned fiercely violent on Monday as three activists of TDP were hacked to death by Congress rivals near Garisenapalli village in Bathalapalli mandal. Nine other TDP workers were also injured in the attack.

According to the police, the attack took place when about a dozen TDP activists were on way to Garisenapalli from Bathalapalli in a jeep after filing nomination papers for sarpanch's post of Garisenepalli. About a dozen Congress supporters led by Srinivasa Reddy, Aswartha Reddy and Venugopal Reddy allegedly attacked the jeep when it was passing by a tank near Upparlapalli by hurling bombs from the tank bund hiding behind bushes.

They then chased and hacked the TDP workers. While three TDP men fell prey to the attackers, the remaining succeeded in escaping with injuries.

The dead were identified as K. Yellappa (37), B. Venkata Narayana (43) and Ramesh Naidu (24). Another TDP man Govindappa was admitted to the Government Area Hospital at Dharmavaram with grievous injuries.

In other poll-related clashes, six TDP men and a commoner were injured seriously when they were allegedly attacked by rival party's supporters during the filing of nomination papers at Gorantla.

Beaten to death

Ongole Special Correspondent adds: In another poll related violence, a TDP worker was beaten to death in Chilamkuru of Marripudi mandal in Prakasam district on Monday.

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