Is Maoist Central Committee member Hidma one among 6 killed in Andhra Pradesh?

At least six maoist cadres were gunned down in an alleged exchange of fire in Maredumilli forest areas of Andhra Pradesh. Maoist Central Committee member Hidma was believed to be one of those slain naxals.

Hyderabad: The CPI (Maoist) seems to have suffered yet another big jolt when Security Forces killed six Maoist cadres in an alleged exchange of fire in Maredumilli forest area of Alluri Sitaramaraju district of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning.

Reports say that the Maoist Central Committee member Hidma is one among those slain. However, there is no official confirmation of Hidma being one of those killed. Police sources indicated that there was, indeed, one senior most leader among the slain naxalites.

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Incidentally, another gun battle ensued between security forces and the maoists in Sukma area of Bastar in neighbouring Chhattisgarh district on Tuesday morning.

The Maoist party is facing the biggest crisis, with many of the cadres and leaders including the all powerful Central Committee and Politbureau member Mallojula Venugopal and many of senior leaders disagreed with the party’s avowed principle of carrying out protracted armed struggle and laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of life.

The Maoist party is almost vertically split with the many leaders arguing for suspension of the armed struggle in view of the current situation and work among the people, while some leaders working in Bastar and Telangana opting to continue the armed struggle.