Analysis: How Maoist Madvi Hidma's Death Is A Big Hit To Left-Wing Extremism

The killing of Madvi Hidma, a Central Committee member and formidable head of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, is a severe operational and ideological blow to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). 

His death, along with other recent eliminations and surrenders of top leaders in 2025, has significantly weakened the Maoist leadership. It is as though the deadline set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end left-wing terrorism in the country is nearing reality.

Based on recent security intelligence reports, right up to the time of Hidma's death, the remaining high-ranking leadership is severely thinned. It is primarily composed of older members of Telugu origin.

The politburo, the highest decision-making body of the CPI (Maoist), has suffered a series of losses this year, including the death of party general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, in May, and the surrender of top member Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu, in October.

The current key politburo members are Thippiri Tirupathi, known as Devuji/Devji, who was appointed as the new General Secretary and heads the Central Regional Bureau (CRB), and Misir Besra alias Sagar or Sunirmal, who heads the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB).

Significantly, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Intelligence) of Andhra Pradesh, Mahesh Chandra Laddha, has said nine of the 31 Maoists arrested from nearby districts of the state formed Devuji's security detail.

Also on the list of politburo members is Mupalla Laxman Rao, known by the name Ganapathy, the former General Secretary, who is believed to be elderly and inactive, but remains a nominal politburo member.

The reported internal friction between Devuji, who reportedly favours peace talks in his region and Besra, who has condemned surrenders and ceasefires, further compounds the party's internal instability.

"The ideological differences within the leadership are out in the open and have clearly weakened the party," Pillari Prasad Rao, Central Committee member for 17 years, popularly known as Chandranna, who recently joined the mainstream before the Telangana police chief, told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

The Central Committee is the second-highest decision-making body. Hidma was the last tribal member from the Bastar region on this committee, which gave him unique influence over the local tribal cadres.

"Hidma was influential and almost a cult figure among tribal youth who would get inspired by his talk. So his elimination is important on that count too," Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta told NDTV.

The total number of CC members is believed to have dropped to around 10, including the politburo members after a continuous and successful anti-Naxal push by security forces throughout 2025.

Notable surviving CC members, excluding politburo members, include Paka Hanumanthu alias Ganesh Uike, Pathiram Manjhi alias Anal Da or Marandi, Malla Raja Reddy, known also as Sangram or Murli, and Ramdev, also known as Majidev.

The consistent elimination of Central Committee members in 2025, such as Katta Ramachandra Reddy and Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy in September, shows a sustained degradation of this crucial body.

Hidma's most significant role was as the de facto head and chief military strategist of the PLGA Battalion No. 1, the most formidable fighting unit, where he provided military leadership. His elimination creates a massive vacuum in the organisation's military and tactical command structure.

He was an expert in guerrilla warfare and had intimate knowledge of the Bastar forest terrain, which will be nearly impossible for an external or non-tribal leader to replicate.

While Hidma succeeded Barse Deva in 2021 as the commander of PLGA Battalion No. 1, he also remained in charge of guiding the battalion as the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) member. His death leaves the unit without its strategic director.

Security forces view Hidma's elimination as a definitive sign that the Maoist movement in the Bastar region is facing an irreversible leadership crisis. 

The remaining leadership is aging, is primarily non-local, of Telugu origin, and is reportedly experiencing significant internal dissent and lack of coordination. This loss cripples the organisation's ability to plan and execute large-scale, lethal armed operations, especially in the crucial tri-junction zones.

Already feeling intense heat from Operation Kagar, and with states like Andhra Pradesh not allowing them a re-entry, the Maoist leadership is finding no place to run and operate.