The attack on former Andhra Pradesh chief minister  Janardhana Reddy and his wife on the Nellore-Tirupati road is a reminder that Maoists in Andhra Pradesh remain a potent force.  Reddy has been a target of Maoist attacks at least twice in the past. While he and his wife escaped unhurt, three others accompanying them in another car were blown to bits in the blast. It was when Reddy was chief minister in 1990-92 that a ban on the Peoples War Group was first imposed. With their attempt on his life, the Maoists have sent out a chilling message that they have not forgotten his role in undermining their movement. The attack on Reddy is the first time in two years that the Maoists have struck at a high-profile target. In August 2005, they had gunned down legislator Narsi Reddy, and eight others. In 2000, Madhav Reddy, Minister for Panchayati Raj was killed for adopting a tough anti-Maoist policy during his tenure as home minister. A bid on then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu in 2003 failed.

Successive governments in Andhra have been claiming that the Maoist threat in the state has been eliminated thanks to the tough strategy adopted by its police. Indeed, hundreds of Maoist fighters, including several leaders, have been killed in recent years. Andhra’s “success” in tackling the Maoists was widely hailed, prompting other state governments confronting Maoist insurgencies to adopt the Andhra model. The deadly blasts on Friday have laid bare the hollowness of the claims. The Maoists might be down in Andhra but they are far from defeated.
The Andhra government is likely to react to Friday’s attack by launching yet another police offensive against the Maoists. A stern response to violence is no doubt essential. However, police operations alone cannot remove the  threat. Their continuing survival, announced periodically through violent attacks indicates that the government’s current strategy is not working. The Maoist movement has its roots in socio-economic problems and these grievances need to be addressed if the threat they pose should be effectively removed.