Former Maoists into public life, new political party to come up

The surrendered Maoists, who once hid in thick forests in remote areas and operated from what was described as their ‘Jungle Raj’, are now coming into the open after surrendering before the governments of different States.

According to reports published in a section of the media, surrendered Maoists are planning to float a political party named ‘Jana Telangana’. The proposed party is expected to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for recognition. A report published on September 21 said the names associated with the proposed political activity include Lanka Papi Reddy alias Lachhanna, advocate Balla Ravindra Nath, former Singareni Karimika Sangham leader Gurijala Ravinder, and Ajya Balne and Sadanandam of Huzurabad. The report also said the proposed party is looking at contesting the graduate MLC elections.

If the proposed political formation takes shape, it could alter the political equations in Telangana to some extent. However, at this stage, there is little evidence to suggest that it could emerge as an alternative to any of the established political parties.

Maoists and Naxalites who remained underground for decades had to live with the constant threat of arrest, encounter and exposure. Forest hideouts and safe houses in urban areas became part of their survival strategy.

Surrender changed that equation.

In practical terms, it gave them an opportunity to return to ordinary public life. They no longer have to disappear into forests to protect themselves. They can seek medical treatment openly, meet people, travel and discuss public issues without living under the restrictions imposed by an underground existence.

The transition from an armed underground movement to democratic politics, however, is a completely different journey.

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The question now is whether former Maoists can transform their ideological beliefs and decades of underground experience into a political programme that can operate within the constitutional and democratic framework.

Devji announces political ambitions

Top Maoist leaders Devji, Sangram among over 20 who surrender as Operation-2 Kagar intensifies Bhagyanagar, Telangana. In a significant development, wanted Maoist leader Thippiri Tirupati alias Devji, 63, who carried a reward

Several former Maoists have chosen Telangana for surrender, and the State has witnessed a series of high-profile surrenders in recent years.

One of the most significant was the surrender of Tippiri Tirupati alias Devji, a senior CPI (Maoist) leader who had spent more than four decades underground. He surrendered before Telangana Police in February 2026 along with other senior leaders, including Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram.

Devji subsequently indicated that his public life would not necessarily end with surrender.

“I have decided to work on public issues in legal framework. That means I wish to continue my political life. The ideology, which I believed for decades will be my guiding force in my political journey,” he said on February 24, 2026.

His statement assumes significance because it indicates that at least some former Maoist leaders are not viewing surrender merely as an end to their underground existence, but as a possible beginning of another phase of public activity.

There are already examples before them.

Seethakka

Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka is perhaps the most prominent example of a former Naxalite entering electoral politics and eventually reaching the State Cabinet.

Seethakka joined the Naxalite movement as a teenager and remained associated with the movement for more than a decade. She surrendered in 1997 and subsequently pursued education and became a lawyer. She entered electoral politics through the Telugu Desam Party in 2004 and joined the Congress in 2017. She was elected from Mulugu on a Congress ticket and later became a Minister in the Telangana government.

Her journey from an underground armed movement to mainstream electoral politics provides an important example for those former Maoists who are now contemplating a political career.

Etala Rajender, the former BRS minister and present BJP MP, also had a background in student politics associated with the radical Left. He was active in the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), a student organisation associated with the faction led by the late Chandra Pulla Reddy.

He later moved into business and mainstream politics, eventually becoming a prominent political figure in Telangana.

The journeys of people with such diverse political backgrounds demonstrate that political careers can take unexpected turns.

For the former Maoists now contemplating electoral politics, these examples may provide the confidence that an underground past does not necessarily prevent a return to mainstream public life.

Operation Kagar / Operation Black Forest

The transformation of the Maoist movement cannot be understood without looking at the intense security operations carried out against Left-Wing Extremism.

After coming to power at the Centre in 2014, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government adopted an increasingly offensive approach towards Left-Wing Extremism, treating Maoist violence not only as a socio-economic and developmental problem but also as an internal-security challenge.

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Among the major operations was Operation Kagar, conducted against Maoist formations in the forested areas of central India.

In April-May 2025, security forces launched a major operation in the Karreguttalu hill range along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. The operation involved the CRPF, CoBRA, District Reserve Guards and Telangana security personnel. The Indian Express reported that the operation covered about 288 sq km and involved around 10,000 personnel.

Another major operation in May 2025 resulted in the killing of Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, the CPI (Maoist) general secretary, in the Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh. The operation lasted about 50 hours and dealt a major blow to the organisation's senior leadership.

The security offensive, combined with organisational weaknesses, loss of influence and a growing number of surrenders, significantly altered the position of the Maoist movement.

Surrenders

The last few years have witnessed a steady stream of Maoist cadres and senior leaders surrendering before security forces.

Telangana, in particular, has witnessed several high-profile surrenders. The February 2026 surrender of Devji, Raji Reddy and other senior leaders was described by official and media reports as a major setback to the remaining Maoist leadership.

Devji had spent more than four decades underground. Raji Reddy had also remained underground for several decades and held senior organisational responsibilities. Other senior leaders who surrendered around the same period included Bade Chokka Rao alias Damodar and Nune Narasimha Reddy alias Ganganna.

The significance of these surrenders lies not merely in the number of weapons surrendered or cadres who came overground. More importantly, several of the people giving up arms belonged to the senior leadership that had sustained the organisation for decades.

The Telangana government has subsequently maintained that the State is free from armed Maoist activity. Whether any isolated armed cadres remain is a matter for security agencies to assess, but the scale of the underground network is clearly very different from what existed in the past.

Invitation by CPI

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has also sought to make use of the changing situation by extending an invitation to surrendered Naxalite leaders to enter mainstream democratic politics.

CPI leaders have publicly appealed to surrendered Maoists to abandon armed politics and participate in the democratic process.

This is significant because political rehabilitation could become one of the possible routes available to former underground cadres who want to continue their ideological and public engagement without returning to armed activity.

Some former Maoist leaders have already begun interacting with mainstream political organisations.

Tippiri Tirupati, Malla Raji Reddy and other recently surrendered leaders have met political leaders and government representatives after coming overground. Devji and other former Maoist leaders also met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in February 2026, where rehabilitation and their return to mainstream life were discussed.