‘Maoist movement is over’: Amid spate of surrenders, Telangana DGP says ‘leaders, cadres disillusioned with armed struggle’

The DGP, who released the police’s annual report for 2025, said it reflected sustained anti-Maoist operations and rehabilitation efforts. (Express Archive)

Telangana’s police chief on Tuesday said 2025 saw the highest number of Maoist surrenders and that the “movement is over”.

DGP B Shivadhar Reddy said that this year, 509 Maoists surrendered, including 23 from Telangana. The DGP, who released the police’s annual report for 2025, said it reflected sustained anti-Maoist operations and rehabilitation efforts.

In Andhra Pradesh, there were seven encounters in 2025, in which 18 Maoists, including senior commander Madvi Hidma, were killed. While nine Maoist cadres were arrested, 49 Maoists surrendered in the state. Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta said the focus has now shifted to tackling cyber crimes and drugs smuggling.

Officials said it was the surrender of three senior Telangana State Committee Members (SCMs) in October that spurred more surrenders of cadres, mainly from Chhattisgarh, who depended on support from leaders in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Telangana DGP, it was the state’s rehabilitation policy that encouraged a majority of the leaders and cadres to surrender as the Maoist movement winds down. On October 10, Kunkati Venkataiah, the in-charge of the South Bastar Divisional Committee (DVC) under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC); Thodem Ganga, in-charge of Janathana Sarkar, South Bastar DVC; and Mogilicherla Venkatraju, in-charge of the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) in DKSZC surrendered before the DGP.

“The Maoist ideology is no longer relevant, and leaders and cadres have become disillusioned with the armed struggle. Due to ideological differences, there are power struggles within, which have further weakened the movement. It cannot sustain anymore. The Maoist movement is over,” DGP Reddy, who has spent decades conducting anti-Maoist operations, said. He also said that relentless security operations against the Maoists in Chhattisgarh had driven many to Telangana to surrender.

He also credited the state’s surrender policy, which includes a Rs 20-lakh reward to help them reintegrate into society. Officials estimated that 60-70 mid-level leaders and cadres belonging to Telangana, who are still underground, will surrender in the coming year.