1 week ago
7
ARTICLE AD BOX
2 min readHyderabadMar 7, 2026 07:29 PM IST
“There is no Telangana Maoist committee now,” declared Reddy, even as the state has seven underground leaders, including Ganapathi. (File Photo)
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has urged top Maoist leader Muppala Laxmana Rao alias Ganapathi to surrender, saying that “not with bullet, you can work miracles with ballot”. Reddy was speaking in Hyderabad as 130 Maoists surrendered on Saturday, along with 124 weapons and live ammunition.
Ganapathi is the only Central Committee member from Telangana who is underground now. Once the general secretary of the party, he retired from active participation in armed struggle and went into hiding.
Among those who surrendered on Saturday were mostly leaders of the first battalion of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) of the CPI (Maoist). This battalion was once led by Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, who surrendered before the state’s DGP B Shivadhar Reddy earlier this month.
“There is no Telangana Maoist committee now,” declared Reddy, even as the state has seven underground leaders, including Ganapathi. “This has dealt a severe blow to the CPI (Maoist) in Telangana and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) areas. Among the three ‘magic weapons’ of the CPI Maoist, the most important one, PLGA, has completely surrendered,” said DGP Reddy.
The CM appealed to the seven Maoist leaders who were underground to join the mainstream.
Those who surrendered before the police included State Committee Members (3), Regional Committee Member (1), Divisional Committee Members (10), Area Committee Members (46) and party members (70).
The surrendered Maoists, who include Devuji’s guards, reached the Telangana State Police Integrated Command and Control Centre in four buses.
Story continues below this ad
This surrender follows the CM’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on March 4. “I have heard that Ganapathi and others are ailing too. We ask all those who are underground to surrender, and the state will take care of them,” Reddy said, adding that surrendered Maoists will be integrated into the mainstream by giving them medical and housing facilities.
“The government is ready to revoke cases against Naxals and also constitute a committee, if required, to review the cases,” he said. “Dialogue is the only solution to resolve the issues. The state government is sympathetic towards the Naxals and ready to solve the issues.”
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice. Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India. Expertise & Focus Areas Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include: Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India. Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism. Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities. National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting. Authoritativeness & Trust A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society. Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
English (US) ·