In a major counter-insurgency success, security forces have killed top Maoist commander Madavi Hidma, one of India’s most notorious Naxalite leaders, just 12 days before the deadline reportedly set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his elimination. Hidma, 44, was neutralized in an intelligence-driven operation in the dense Pullagandi forests, located at the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana — a region long known as a Maoist stronghold.

According to sources, Amit Shah had directed security agencies to intensify anti-Naxal operations this year, setting November 30 as the target to eliminate Hidma, and March 31, 2026, as the deadline to completely eradicate Left-wing extremism from India. “At a high-level review meeting, the home minister asked security forces to bring Hidma down before month-end. The operation’s success came 12 days before that,” a senior source familiar with the matter said, adding that progress against Maoist networks had accelerated across multiple states.

Hidma, born in 1981 in Sukma’s tribal region of Chhattisgarh, rose from a local recruit to become commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1 and a member of the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee. He was the only tribal leader from Bastar to reach the organisation’s top echelon. Over the years, he became a symbol of deadly Maoist warfare, with intelligence reports linking him to more than 26 major attacks — including the 2010 Dantewada massacre, the 2013 Jeeram Ghati ambush that killed senior Congress leaders, and the 2021 Bijapur attack in which 22 security personnel were martyred.

Also Read: Amit Shah Chairs High-Stakes Northern Zonal Council Meeting in Faridabad Amid Heightened Security

For years, Hidma evaded capture thanks to his mastery of guerrilla tactics and deep familiarity with Bastar’s harsh terrain. Security forces had launched several major operations to track him, but he consistently slipped through the net using the forest’s cover and civilian networks. His death marks what officials are calling a “turning point” in India’s decades-long battle against Naxal insurgency in central and eastern regions.

Officials believe that with Hidma’s elimination, the leadership vacuum within the Maoist organisation could weaken its operational strength. “The ideological cadre may remain, but the tactical leadership is collapsing,” a senior officer remarked. With the government maintaining sustained pressure, Left-wing extremism — once spread across 90 districts — has now shrunk significantly. Analysts see Hidma’s death as a major symbolic and strategic victory ahead of the government’s 2026 target to end the insurgency.

Also Read: Nitish Kumar to Take Oath for 10th Time as NDA Seals Cabinet Blueprint, Sources