In a major blow to the Maoists, Gudsa Usnedi (alias Gumudavelli Venkatakrishna Prasad), leader and spokesman for the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and his wife Raji (alias Santoshi Markam), surrendered to the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) in Andhra Pradesh on January 8th.

The couple was produced before media but not allowed to talk to reporters. According to Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) B. Prasad Rao, Usnedi is sick and needs rest to recuperate.

Usnedi is believed involved in several bloody ambushes, such as the May Darba Ghati attack in Chhattisgarh that killed 31 people, including Congress party leaders. Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) believe Usnedi will help them prevent future ambushes and learn Maoist tactics.

"Usnedi has confessed that he left the party as he was frustrated over the fact that, bereft of cadres and supplies of arms, ammunition and provisions, the outfit has been involved in mindless violence, participating in one massacre after another and killing innocent villagers whose cause they claimed to espouse," Rao told Khabar South Asia.

Usnedi also said he regretted his outfit demolished educational institutions, power lines, roads and other basic facilities in rural areas, Rao added.

"It is significant that Gudsa – who was himself the mastermind behind several Maoist ambushes – has quit the organisation, alleging excessive violence by the party," former Jharkhand DGP G.S. Rath said. "As far as I am concerned, I think that the senior CPI (Maoist) leaders are being marginalized in the organisation by the youths who have taken up the reins of the party in several parts of the country."

Usnedi travelled from Chhattisgarh to his native Andhra Pradesh to surrender.

"Several Maoists have surrendered in Andhra Pradesh before, as the rehabilitation policy of the Maoists in the state is one of the best in the country," Rao said.

The Union Home Ministry issued a statement appealing to other cadres to lay down arms and join mainstream society. Already since Usnedi's surrender, 19 Maoists in Malkangiri-- the worst-affected district in Odisha—followed suit, Sub-Divisional Police Officer K. Siba Subramaniam said.

"Long back, I realized the futility of the Maoist struggle and the rampant violence unleashed by the party," said Rashmi Mahali, a former Maoist who surrendered in 2011 and now runs the Ranchi police headquarters tea stall with her rehabilitation package money.

"I made a wise decision by quitting the party and now I am happy that our leaders are also beginning to realize that violence cannot solve the problems of the poor."