Madvi Hidma, a top Maoist leader and Central Committee member, was killed on November 18, 2025, in an encounter with Andhra Pradesh police in the Maredumilli forest. His wife and four others also died in the operation. The killing marks a significant blow to the CPI(Maoist), amid ongoing surrenders and internal divisions.
Madvi Hidma, aged 51 and born in 1981 in Puvarti village, Sukma, Chhattisgarh, rose through Maoist ranks after the 2007 Urpalmetta attack that killed 23 security personnel. By 2009, he commanded Battalion 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), leading deadly ambushes, including the 2010 Chintalnar incident where 76 jawans died. Official data attributes 260 jawan and 81 civilian deaths to him between 2016 and 2021, during which he escaped over 50 operations despite 12 firefights.
Security forces faced challenges from Bastar's terrain and security vacuum, with Hidma's 250-strong battalion using guerrilla tactics like trailing exhausted patrols. From 2017, shorter operations and deeper camps—87 established since 2019—reduced camp distances to 10-20 km, constricting Maoist movements. The District Reserve Guard (DRG), comprising local tribals, provided terrain expertise.
Hidma's death on November 18 in Alluri Sitarama Raju district followed his displacement from Abujhmad in 2024 and a major operation killing 31 Maoists near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Andhra's Greyhounds conducted the encounter. "It's a significant development," said ADG Vivekanand Sinha, noting Hidma executed party orders but became a mythical figure via media.
The CPI(Maoist) is weakened: General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao (Basavaraju) died on May 21, 2025, with 27 cadres. Politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao (Sonu) surrendered in October with 60 cadres, advocating armed struggle's end and exposing ideological rifts. Devuji accused Sonu of treason; Sunirmal condemned a Telangana ceasefire. Surrenders include Chandranna and bombmaker Rupesh; no recruitments last year, cadres now handful.
A Telangana intelligence officer declared, "It’s over for the Maoists." With Home Ministry's March 2026 deadline, officials predict more surrenders under Chhattisgarh's rehabilitation programs.
