Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday reacted to YSR Congress President Jaganmohan Reddy’s remark asking for him to be shot dead. Calling Reddy a maniac, Naidu said said his comments reflected his mental condition, The Hindu reported.

“What would you call a person who says that the chief minister should be shot dead, hit with slippers, threatens a collector that he will be imprisoned and a police commissioner that his pension will be denied? A maniac?” Naidu said.

The Telugu Desam Party national president made the statement while addressing a teleconference with other party leaders. “The people should understand and gauge the consequences had he been made chief minister,” Naidu said.

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The TDP leader also said that Jaganmohan Reddy’s father and late Andhra Pradesh chief minister, YS Rajasekhar Reddy, had a hand in the assassination attempt on him by Naxalites in 2003, reported the Hindustan Times. Naidu had survived the assassination attempt in Tirumala Hills when a landmine missed his vehicle on October 2, 2003. Naidu claimed the former chief minister had provided the rebels with logistical support.

On August 3, Jaganmohan Reddy had targeted the chief minister while addressing a crowd in Nandyal, where bye-elections will be held in August 23. He had accused Naidu of making false poll promises.

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

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The Nandyal bye-election

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

The ruling party in the state has fielded Bhuma Reddy as its candidate for the election, the YSRC has named Silpa Mohan Reddy its nominee. The votes will be counted on August 28.