Senior Maoist Leader Potula Padmavati Surrenders After 43 Years Underground

Gadwal: In a major development, Maoist Central Committee member Potula Padmavati, also known by her aliases Kalpana Jyothi and Sujatha, surrendered before the government on Thursday, choosing peace and mainstream life after more than four decades in the extremist movement.

Padmavati, a native of Penchikalapadu village in Gattu mandal of Jogulamba Gadwal district, hails from a modest family. She lost her father years ago and is survived by her mother, three brothers, and one sister.

Her educational journey began in Aiza, where she studied up to Class 10, followed by Intermediate in Gadwal. She later joined Maharani Adilakshmi Devamma Degree College for her first year of graduation. During her college days, she was influenced by the Radical Students’ Union and eventually joined the Maoist movement, leaving behind her studies and family.

For the past 43 years, Padmavati played an active role in Maoist activities, rising through the ranks to become a Central Committee member. She is said to have visited her native village only once in all these years and never maintained contact with her family or relatives. Police records indicate that she narrowly escaped multiple encounters, earning a reputation as one of the most elusive women leaders in the organization.

Explaining her decision, officials said Padmavati grew weary of a life in hiding and the constant fear of being killed in an encounter. With dwindling cadre strength and increasing pressure from security forces, she opted to surrender.

Authorities have welcomed her decision, noting that she will be rehabilitated under the state’s surrender and reintegration policy. “Her surrender is a blow to the Maoist ranks and a positive step towards peace in the region,” officials said.

Meanwhile, her family members and villagers expressed immense joy and relief. For them, her return to mainstream society after decades of isolation is not just a personal reunion, but also a sign of hope for others still in the movement.

Padmavati’s surrender is being seen as both a symbolic and strategic development — closing a chapter in her long underground life while underscoring the government’s success in encouraging extremists to choose the path of peace.