Telangana police have reported a significant setback for the Maoist party as 37 members surrendered before DGP Sivadhar Reddy. Among them, three are state committee members—Sambayya alias Azad, Narayana alias Ramesh, and Somda alias Erra—while the remaining 34 members are reportedly from Chhattisgarh, including three divisional committee members, nine regional committee members, and 22 cadre members. All surrendered members handed over their weapons and received Rs. 25,000 each as immediate assistance. Rewards on Azad and Appas Narayana amount to Rs. 20 lakh each, making the total reward for all 37 members Rs. 1.41 crore, which will be disbursed to them. The Telangana government will also provide a rehabilitation package to local Maoists.
The surrender comes following a call by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during the Police Martyrs’ Day on October 21, urging Maoists to join the mainstream. Authorities have appealed to the remaining 59 underground Maoists in Telangana to surrender. Among those still underground are five central committee members and 10 state committee members, who have been urged to give up arms promptly. Officials highlighted that in recent months, Maoists have increasingly been laying down arms, indicating the success of ongoing surrender and rehabilitation initiatives.
This wave of surrenders coincides with the government’s broader strategy to eliminate Maoist influence by March next year, as announced by Central Home Minister Amit Shah. Central armed forces are actively targeting Maoist operations under Operation Kagar, and recent clashes have resulted in hundreds of Maoist casualties. Authorities say these developments, combined with staged surrenders, are weakening the party’s operational capacity and morale.