An uneasy calm prevails in the erstwhile Karimnagar district, especially the forest-dominated Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district, after Araku MLA K. Sarveswara Rao and a former MLA S. Soma, both from TDP, were reportedly ambushed and shot dead by a group of 50-60 Maoists in Thothangi village of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.
For several years, the Naxalite movement had been inactive in the Telugu-speaking States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but Sunday’s incident got the authorities on their toes.
Seeking vengeance
In what seems to be a resolve to avenge the killing of 42 Maoists by police in Chhattisgarh in April this year, the Left wing extremists have formed a special guerilla squad and are moving in Sironcha, Gadchiroli, in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
According to intelligence sources, they are anticipated to enter the KKW region — erstwhile Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal districts and commit a major offence. Besides, the Maoists have also formed single action teams and dispersed to various places in the KKW region to eliminate their targets, particularly ruling party leaders, the sources said, adding the upcoming elections in Telangana may be a particularly sensitive time.
Garnering support
It is also learnt that the Maoists are eyeing the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project at Kannepalli pump house and Medigadda barrage and posing as labourers, they may conduct recce for their ‘actions’.
The sources pointed out that the Maoists are garnering support from land oustees of the Kaleshwaram project, and are waiting to enter Telangana from Chhattisgarh as labourers and commit offences during the ensuing elections, the sources added.
On the other hand, police have sounded high alert along the border of adjoining Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra States in Mahadevpur mandal of Jayashankar-Bhupalpally district and intensified combing operations in the forest abutting villages in Mahadevpur, Kataram, Mahamutharam and Tadicherla mandals. The targets have been cautioned not to venture into the interior villages without informing police.
Cops have fortified the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project works at Kannepalli pump house, Medigadda barrage and Annaram reservoir along with the existing CRPF battalions already camping in those areas. TS police are sharing intelligence input with neighbouring states to curb naxal intrusion in the State.