Hyderabad, Oct 22 (IANS): Senior Congress leader and Member of Telangana Legislative Council, T. Jeevan Reddy, on Tuesday staged a protest in Jagtial district after one of his key followers was murdered allegedly by his political rivals.

Maru Ganga Reddy (58) was killed in the attack by a person in Jabitapur village of the district on Monday, triggering political tension in the area.

A person knocked down Ganga Reddy with his car and then attacked him with a knife.

Ganga Reddy died while being shifted to a hospital by locals.

The victim, a former member of the Mandal Parishad Territorial Committee (MPTC), was a close aide of MLC and former minister Jeevan Reddy.

Protesting against the murder, Jeevan Reddy along with his supporters sat on a dharna at Old Bus Stand on the Jagtial-Dharmapuri main road on Tuesday.

Jeevan Reddy expressed his anguish over the lack of security for the Congress leader.

He alleged that Ganga Reddy was killed in a well-planned manner by his political rivals.

The senior leader wondered if there was law and order in the state.

“How can there be BRS rule in Jagtial when there is a Congress government in the state,” he asked.

Jeevan Reddy alleged that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was trying to create lawlessness in the district. He slammed the police for their failure to prevent the murder despite political tensions in the area.

The Congress leader said the murder was linked to political enmity between the deceased and his rivals.

Police said they have registered a case and begun the investigation to identify and arrest the accused.

Police have beefed up security in the district to prevent any untoward incidents.

In June, Jeevan Reddy had openly expressed his unhappiness over the Congress party admitting BRS MLA, M. Sanjay Kumar into the party fold.

Sanjay Kumar, who had defeated Jeevan Reddy in the Assembly elections held in November last year, joined the Congress party in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in June.

Jeevan Reddy had announced that he would resign as MLC as he was not consulted before admitting Sanjay Kumar into the party.

The senior leader had also lost to Sanjay Kumar in the Jagtial constituency in Nizamabad district.

The Congress leader had lost to the same rival in 2018. Jeevan Reddy had defeated him in 2014.