A municipal councillor of Mahabubabad civic body was axed to death by miscreants in broad daylight in the district headquarters town of Mahabubabad on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Banoth Ravi, 35, the eighth ward councillor of Mahabubabad municipality.
Ravi got elected as a councillor from the eighth ward as an independent candidate in the last civic body polls and reportedly joined the ruling TRS subsequently, sources said.
Police suspect business rivalry to be the motive behind the gory murder.
Ravi, who was heading towards Pattipaka on his bike, was waylaid by the assailants, who attacked him with axes before fleeing in full public view, sources said.
A tractor and a car were used by the assailants in the crime, sources added.
Police ruled out any political angle in the murder of Ravi.
Preliminary inquiry has pointed to the possibility of an old rivalry over some business transactions between the deceased and the assailants being the motive behind the ghastly murder.
Superintendent of Police Sharat Chandra Pawar visited the scene of crime and constituted four special teams to track down the assailants.
Meanwhile, the horrific killing of the elected representative of the urban local body sent shockwaves in the district headquarters town.
