Representative image of Naxals.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: Continuing the legacy of Telugu leadership within the Maoist movement, Tippiri Tirupathi, a Madiga Dalit operating under the alias Devuji, has been appointed as the new general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), according to sources in security forces.
Tirupathi, in his 60s, hails from Korutla in Telangana's erstwhile Karimnagar district. His elevation follows the killing of Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basava Raj during Operation Kagaar on May 21 a watershed moment that marked the first time in decades that the Maoists found themselves without a supreme leader, and the first successful neutralization of such a high-ranking Naxalite by security forces.
Intelligence sources identified two frontrunners to succeed Keshav Rao, Tippiri Tirupathi and Mallojula Venugopal Rao. While Tirupathi leads the Central Military Commission (CMC), the party's armed wing, Venugopal Rao serves as the current ideological head. Ultimately, the organization selected Tirupathi for the top position.
In a significant parallel appointment, Madvi Hidma alias Santosh, commander of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) 1st Battalion, has been designated as secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DSZC). This role makes him responsible for party activities across Chhattisgarh's Bastar division, considered a crucial operational region for the Maoists.
Madvi Hidma represents one of the most prominent and elusive figures within the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy. Known for his guerrilla warfare expertise, he has orchestrated several high-profile attacks against security forces. His journey began in the 1990s when he joined the movement as a school dropout, rapidly ascending through organizational ranks due to his early involvement and tactical acumen.
Now commanding Battalion 1 of the PLGA, Hidma oversees one of the most lethal and rigorously trained units within the Maoist structure. Operating primarily across Sukma, Dantewada, and Bijapur regions of Chhattisgarh, this battalion distinguishes itself as the most heavily armed formation, with 80 percent of personnel equipped with automatic or semi-automatic weapons, including AK-series rifles, self-loading rifles, and light machine guns.
Given his strategic importance, Hidma operates within a three-layer security cordon. Beyond his PLGA role, he serves as a Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee member and has been inducted into the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee, making him among the youngest to achieve such status.
The Maoists currently face their most severe leadership vacuum and organizational crisis in years. Since Operation Kagar's launch, they have been unable to convene core committee meetings as cadres and leadership remain scattered. Security forces have strategically surrounded the Karregutta hills, a traditional safe haven along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border from all directions.
"Special forces discovered the leadership transition after interrogating Kamlesh, a Maoist Central Committee member who recently surrendered in Andhra Pradesh," revealed a top source in the anti-Naxal squad.
Since the 2004 merger that created the CPI (Maoist) by unifying the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) People's War, predominantly active in Andhra Pradesh with the Maoist Communist Centre of India from Bihar and West Bengal, undivided Andhra Pradesh has consistently provided leadership to India's Naxal movement.
This tradition encompasses figures like Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, a former schoolteacher who established the CPI (ML) People's War in 1980, and Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju from Srikakulam, who became the CPI (Maoist) General Secretary in 2018 and gained recognition for his military strategies. The significance of this regional influence was underscored when the merger was announced in Hyderabad, highlighting undivided Andhra Pradesh's centrality to the movement.