Surrendered Maoist says senior leader Mandvi Hidma is new DKZC secretary

RAIPUR: Senior Maoist commander and exchange citizens committee fellow member Mandvi Hidma has reportedly been prescribed as secretarial assistant of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKZC), one of the most powerful decision-making bodies of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), according to a senior Maoist functionary who surrendered in Andhra Pradesh two months ago.Hidma is the first resident of Bastar region, the only place where Maoists still have some influence left, to head the committee.A senior Chhattisgarh police functionary said that surrendered cadre, Kamlesh, a member of the South Zonal Committee, gave this information during his interrogation by the Andhra Pradesh police.According to police, Kamlesh had escaped during the Thulthuli encounter in October 2024 in which 38 Maoists were killed along the borders of Narayanpur and Dantewada. He laid down arms before the Andhra Pradesh police in July this year along with his wife Medaka, who was in-charge of Mobile Academic Political Organisation School of East Bastar.According to security officials, the post of DKZC secretary was earlier held by Ramchandra Reddy alias Srinivas, who is now believed to be inactive due to health issues. The officials added that instead of appointing senior Telugu cadre Takkallapally Vasudeva Rao alias Ashanna, who is considered capable in both political and military affairs, the Maoists handed the post to military commander Hidma.Observers believe that the local Koya cadres in Chhattisgarh were unwilling to accept leadership from Telugu seniors, raising concerns about a growing divide within the organisation.Ashanna, who has long been regarded as a politically sharp leader with a history of carrying out major guerrilla actions, was once considered close to top leaders like Basavaraju, Ganapathy and Sonu. The CPI (Maoist) Central Committee had even appointed him as a representative for peace talks in earlier years. By contrast, intelligence reports suggest that Hidma’s strength lies mainly in military operations in South Bastar, and he lacks the wider political experience to function as a state-level leader.“The development is confirmed through the interrogation of Kamlesh but there is no other confirmation. Secondly, the senior cadres who surrendered recently in the region have claimed that they have not received any direct order from Hidma after his appointment to the post,” said an IPS officer posted in one of seven districts of Bastar range.On the other hand, intelligence officers indicated a significant development at the central level of the CPI (Maoist) and claimed that after the death of general secretary Basavaraju in May this year, senior leader Devji (Thippiri Tirupati) has been appointed as the new general secretary of the outfit. However, there has been no official confirmation from either Maoist communication channels or security forces. Officials said that Devji and Sonu, also known as Mallujola Venugopal, were main contenders for the post.Devji, who hails from Telangana, is a senior Central Committee member and heads the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPI (Maoist). He is credited with creating the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)’s first armed platoon and is known to have played a role in the 2007 attack on Geedam police station in Dantewada. Security agencies describe him as a hard-line strategist with deep influence in southern Chhattisgarh, particularly Bastar and Dantewada. He carries a bounty of ₹1 crore and is considered one of the most wanted Maoist leaders in the country.According to intelligence officers tracking Maoist activity in Bastar, a recent meeting of the Indravati area committee was attended by senior leaders, during which the decision regarding Devji’s elevation was discussed.“There are some reports from intelligence that a meeting took place in which Devji was given charge but no official confirmation has yet surfaced. It is very difficult for the senior leaders to gather at one place for a meeting but a bunch of leaders have gathered and may have taken a decision,” said the officer.Bastar inspector general (IG) Sunderraj P said that there was no clarity on who has taken charge after Basavraju.“In recent times, the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit has suffered severe setbacks, leaving it completely leaderless and directionless. This illegal outfit today stands broken, consumed by infighting and crisis. After the death of its former general secretary Basavaraju, there is still no clarity on who has taken charge. Instead, a bitter power struggle rages among Devji, Sonu and other cadres — each desperate to grab the position and exploit the extortion money looted from innocent villagers,” the IG said.Sunderraj further claimed that the same story is unfolding in the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. “Following the death of Ramana in 2019, Sujata and Ramachandra Reddy have been locked in a tug-of-war for the secretary’s position. Now, there are even reports of Madvi Hidma aspiring to become secretary of DKZC. All this chaos only underlines one fact: the Maoist outfit is collapsing and inching towards extinction,” the IG said.