Maoist Leader Mallojula Quits Party

 Karimnagar: Maoist central committee member Mallojula Venugopal has reportedly released a letter announcing his resignation from the party, signalling an end to his decades-long association with the armed movement, and calling upon cadres to “save themselves” and not to make “meaningless sacrifices”.

Sources said Venugopal’s resignation has exposed a long-standing ideological rift within the Maoist leadership over the question of surrender and joining the mainstream. He reportedly criticised some state committee leaders for acting beyond the party line in sensitive matters and making decisions without central committee approval.

In a letter believed to have been circulated among party members, Venugopal, who is also known by his aliases Bhupathi, Sonu, and Abhay, stated that he could no longer continue the armed struggle under the present circumstances. Though he did not discuss specific decisions by the party leadership, he admitted that the path followed by the Maoists had been “completely wrong” and apologised for his inability to prevent its decline. He said repeated leadership mistakes had caused major setbacks to the Maoists and urged cadres to “save themselves” rather than make “meaningless sacrifices.”

Venugopal also revealed that discussions on abandoning the armed struggle had begun during the time of former general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao — who was later killed in an encounter with the security forces — indirectly challenging the stand of the current party spokesperson Jagan, whom he accused of unilaterally releasing letters on giving up arms. He emphasised that any decision to lay down weapons must be taken collectively after internal discussions within the party.

Venugopal, brother of Maoist leader Kishanji who was killed in 2011, is believed to have been under pressure following a series of high-level surrenders, including that of his wife Tara and Pothula Kalpana alias Sujatha, the wife of Kishanji and a central committee member herself. Reports suggest that another senior leader, Vasudeva Rao alias Ashanna, may surrender soon.

Senior police officials stated that they are verifying the authenticity of the letter. “We have heard about Venugopal’s letter blaming the party leadership. If he has indeed decided to leave the Maoist party, we welcome him to join the mainstream and live a normal life. The government will support senior Maoist leaders willing to surrender,” an official said.

Police sources indicated that the Telangana police have started making efforts to encourage the surrender of key central committee members. The recent surrender of Sujathakka is believed to have provided valuable information about internal divisions and leadership conflicts within the party. These efforts are gaining pace under the leadership of DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy, who has long experience in Maoist operations as the former chief of intelligence and also with Greyhounds, a police unit dedicated to fighting Maoists.

Meanwhile, security agencies said that the Maoists continued to suffer major losses under the ongoing Operation Kagar in the Dandakaranya zone, where several senior leaders have been killed in police encounters. Venugopal’s resignation, coming amid this backdrop, has further deepened uncertainty about the survival of the Maoists’ central committee.