The Main Maoists
Communist Party of India (Maoist): Formed in September ’04. Muppala Laxman Rao aka Ganapati is general secretary. Active in 12 states including Andhra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Maharashtra.
The Consolidation: Earlier, three main groups existed: People’s Unity, Maoist Communist Centre and People’s War. Finally, united as one in ’04.
The Other Groups
There are other overground formations active, even participating in elections:
Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Kanu Sanyal): Formed in 1969. Kanu Sanyal, who abandoned violent means after Charu Majumdar’s death, is general secretary. Active mainly in West Bengal.
Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Liberation): Formed in 1974. General secretary is Dipankar Bhattacharya. Active in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, UP.
Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Janashakti): Formed in 1992 with the merger of seven Communist groups. Contested the ’94 Andhra Pradesh assembly polls but switched to violent means later. State secretary is Koora Rajanna. Active mainly in AP.
