For decades, the dense forests of northern Andhra Pradesh echoed with gunfire, ideological slogans and the fear of an invisible enemy. In 2025, those echoes have begun to fade. The year is being seen as a watershed moment in the State’s internal security history, with Maoism—once deeply entrenched—reduced to near irrelevance.
A combination of sustained security operations, intelligence-driven policing and large-scale voluntary surrenders has pushed the Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) movement to the brink of extinction in Andhra Pradesh. Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta said the State is witnessing one of the highest rates of voluntary surrenders, reflecting not only enforcement success but a fundamental loss of faith in Maoist ideology.
In 2025 alone, more than 50 Maoists of various cadres surrendered, effectively ending organised Naxal activity in the State. Sixteen top leaders, including Madvi Hidma, Gajarla Uday and Metturi Joga Rao, were neutralised. Police said only 13 cadres linked to Andhra Pradesh remain active, most of them operating along the Andhra–Odisha border.
The decisive push came through the Centre’s multi-state counter-insurgency initiative, Operation Kagar, aimed at eliminating Maoist influence across the Red Corridor by March 31, 2026. Unlike earlier operations focused largely on combing and encounters, the strategy emphasised real-time intelligence sharing, leadership decapitation, disruption of financial networks and sustained psychological outreach encouraging surrenders. Andhra Pradesh, which had already seen a steady decline in Maoist violence over the past decade, emerged as a model State where the movement collapsed faster than expected.
Across the country, over 350 Maoists were killed and more than 1,000 surrendered. Andhra Pradesh alone accounted for over 60 voluntary surrenders. Many were second- and third-generation cadres disillusioned with prolonged underground life and shrinking public support.
Despite the success, officials cautioned against complacency, warning that unresolved socio-economic vulnerabilities could still be exploited by extremist narratives. “The end of Maoism must translate into the beginning of trust,” a senior police officer said, stressing the need for sustained development and justice delivery.
Red to Green: A journey of change
In a tribal hamlet near the Andhra–Odisha border, a former Maoist cadre in his forties has returned to farming after nearly 15 years underground. Enrolled in a rehabilitation programme, he now supports his family and sends his children to a government school. Former Maoist insiders acknowledge that ideological drift, internal weaknesses and an inability to adapt to social change have hastened the movement’s decline.
TIMELINE : Decline of Maoism in Andhra Pradesh
2000-2010: Maoist dominance in tribal belts and frequent encounters and shutdowns.
2014: Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, intensified policing and development focus.
2016-2020: Sharp decline in Maoist incidents due to leadership losses.
2021-2023: Border-centric operations; reduced movement across states
2024: Minimal violent incidents reported
2025: Surge in surrenders with the start of Operation Kagar
Reports: S Viswanath, Phanindra Papasani, Y Brahmaji, Neelima Eaty, S Nagaraja Rao