Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was attacked and injured during a public rally in Vijayawada on Saturday evening, in an apparent assassination attempt by unidentified assailants. The rising popularity of Chief Minister Jagan during his ongoing 'Memantha Siddham' bus yatra in constituencies considered strongholds of the TDP, has left the opposition unsettled.

The attack took place around 8:10 pm when the CM was standing atop his campaign bus to greet the public at Singh Nagar Dhaba Kotla Center. He sustained a severe injury above his left eyebrow after being struck by a sharp object suspected to be either a stone, granite slab shard, pellet or air gun bullet. YSRCP MLA Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao, standing next to the chief minister, also received an injury to his left eye.

The attack caused profuse bleeding, but the CM bravely held the wound and continued waving to the crowd despite the pain. Doctors immediately provided first aid to him on the bus. Subsequently, he carried on with the bus yatra for another 20 km before retiring for the day.

8:10 pm: Stone pelting on CM Jagan in Vijayawada's Singh Nagar area.

8:30 PM: First aid provided to the CM inside the bus.

8:50 PM: Jagan's bus yatra resumed after the evening attack.

10:00 pm: CM Jagan greeted people from the bus.

11:15 am: CM Jagan traveled from Kesarapalli to Vijayawada Government Hospital.

11:30 am: Treatment was administered to CM Jagan at Vijayawada Government Hospital.

12:10 am: CM Jagan was discharged from Vijayawada Government Hospital.

12:20 am: The return journey from the hospital to the Kesarapalli camp began.

Police are investigating all possible angles behind the assassination attempt. Initial probe suggests it could be a conspiracy hatched from the nearby Vivekananda School premises or the area between the school and the Ganganamma temple located on the left side. It is suspected that the miscreants chose this area as it is filled with trees and they could not be seen by anyone.

Investigators are probing two main theories - either the assault was carried out from the Vivekananda School premises as its windows were open using an air gun or it was carried out from the area between the school and Ganganamma temple located on the left side as the bushy area provides cover to the attackers.

Also Read: Lokesh’s comments indicate TDP’s conspiracy behind attack on CM Jagan: AP Minister