Leaders of the Telugu Desam Party on Friday filed a complaint against YSR Congress Chief Jaganmohan Reddy after he said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu should be shot dead, The New Indian Express reported. The complaint was filed with the returning officer of the Nandyal bye-election, Prasana Venkatesh.

Reddy on Thursday had targeted the chief minister while addressing a crowd in Nandyal where bye-elections are scheduled for August 23. He had accused Naidu of making false poll promises.

“This is an election where people all fight against Naidu,” Reddy said, according to The News Minute. “A person like Chandrababu Naidu should be shot in public for his double speak and unending deeds of corruption.”

Somisetty Venkateswarlu TDP Kurnool district president said it was ironic that Reddy was raking corruption charges against Naidu. “If he has stopped to that level, that is because the YSRC knows that they are going to lose in Nandyal,” he said. “In fact, it is a plus point, as people will see through his desperation, and realise what level he has stooped to. They will vote for us.”

Another TDP leader has filed a complaint with the police against Reddy accusing him of inciting violence on the basis of caste, race and religion, reported NDTV.

The Nandyal bye-election

A bye-election was necessitated in Nandyal, a YSR Congress stronghold, after MLA Bhuma Nagireddy died in March this year. Nagireddy had won the seat on YSRC ticket in 2014. However, he had defected to the TDP later.

The TDP has fielded Bhuma Reddy as its candidate for the election, while the YSRC has named Silpa Mohan Reddy its nominee. The counting of votes will be held on August 28.